See the Light
by Cap'nHedgehog
Summary: Harry completes his duty but it's not enough to escape prejudice. When the secret is out, he and Malfoy must escape Britain. They find the perfect place in America. Little do they know, they aren't the only vampires in Forks. HP/Twilight HP/EC
1. Part I

**See the Light: Part I**

**By TheHedgehogLives**

**January 24 2009**

**Updated: August 5 2009**

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_EXTENDED SUMMARY: Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy are polar opposites. Harry is the dark to Draco's light. Their blood is alluring to the vampire Sanguine, who wants to keep them for himself. However, his plan is foiled, and the boys survive, but not totally unscathed. Harry completes his duty, but it is still not enough to escape prejudice. When the secret is out, they have to escape Britain. Hermione finds them the perfect place to hide; a small town in Northern America._

_Little do they know they are not the only vampires in Forks._

**A/N: This will be quite long. My shorthand summary of chapters and etc is a thousand words long. Of those 1000 words, forty two make up this chapter.**

**A few things are out of the timeline of HP and Twilight. (FanFiction). Basically, Harry and Dumbledore, instead of sitting around chatting about Horcruxes, set out to destroy them. And what diadem? Ravenclaw who? In regards to the years, the Mario Reading interpretation of Nostradamus' final prophecy puts the end of the world in the year 7072. And the Battle scene… Les Toreadors started playing on my iTunes. I apologise.**

05/08/09: I have been through and edited some parts of this chapter. Basically I fixed up a couple of typos, some plot problems and added in some dialogue. Not much has changed.

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**The Year: 7072**

I run down the cobbled streets of the original London, faster than any human on the street. In their panic they fail to see me and they couldn't in any case. I am moving far too fast. Red crosses painted crudely on house doors do nothing to illustrate the death and illness behind the closed wood. I am cruelly reminded of the Black Plague I first witnessed on this very street, and images of young faces, forever screwed up in pain assault me. The smell of rotten flesh lingers in the humid summer air; the hottest summer ever recorded for England. For many places.

I push harder against the tantalizing lure of human bloodshed. I doubt it would matter anyway. These are not like the humans of my time. They call themselves _Homo Sapien Praestans. _The Superior Human. I hardly see any superiority; in fact, the human race seems to be descending back to Neanderthals. But enough. I side-step the wailing cowards, and they only feel a slight breeze.

I reach my door, my safe haven. The buildings around me were condemned weeks ago but I do not fear the disease, the violence, the war, the relentless heat. I know they cannot harm me. Hell, I know because I have tried myself, too many times.

I secure the door, a series of latches and bolts. Incredibly old fashioned and incredibly more secure than the 'technological advances' that have been made. Iris scanning went out of date millennia ago, now a prick of the finger to verify genetic signature is the standard house key. Ultimately, the downfall of humanity.

I breathe out deeply, and although it is unnecessary it is still calming. With determination and resignation I gather my belongings and sit down to write.

In my youth, I vehemently fought death and all her harbingers. Now though, as the ashes of Armageddon fall around me, I cannot bring myself to care. I have seen the human race at the height of its empire, and now I see it brought to its knees. People around me are dying by the minute, and I cannot help but wonder, hope even, that I shall finally be consumed by the all consuming flame of death.

My story begins over five thousand years ago. I admit, I am cautious of writing this down after so long, but none of my original fears remain. I doubt any will survive this final apocalypse, and if they do I will be long gone. This will be the final problem that I cannot solve.

I have gone by many names over the years. I am the Wanderer, the Lone Traveller, the man who never stays in one place; he who has so many places to be, so many problems to solve, never complaining, never doing anything for himself.

That is my penance.

As I said, my story begins over five thousand years ago. I was sixteen, almost seventeen. Darkness was coming, we all knew it, but it didn't stop the parties and the drinking and the inexperienced, awkward sex that came as part of adolescence. I myself was starting to come into my own as a young man. I had a beautiful girlfriend, two best friends who were more like siblings than mates, an interminable amount of money, political sway and influence.

Some of the senior students had organised a Finals Party following their last exams. Alcohol was smuggled into the school through secret passageways, food was ordered, rivalries temporarily abolished, music arranged and most importantly, all of the teachers were preoccupied.

**The Year: 1997**

"Go on! Truth or Dare?" shouted George from across the circle. I could feel my face burning as I eyed the bottle in the centre of the circle. I had already had too much to drink; I was feeling like I could do anything.

The truth or dare that we played is a bit different to the normal truth or dare. First, you have to say truth or dare. If you chose truth, you have to pull a question out of the 'Truth' hat and answer it truthfully. If you say dare, you have to spin the bottle. Then, the person it lands on pulls a dare out of the 'Dare' hat and then you get shoved in a broom cupboard for seven minutes to carry out the dare.

"Humm… Dare!"

Why oh why did I say dare. Boys guffawed, girls blushed in sync, hoping the bottle would land on them.

It landed on Malfoy. Fucking bottle. Fucking Fred and George for letting everybody in. Fucking Malfoy?! Knowing the twins, quite possibly.

"You have to take your 'partner', and without using your hands, make them blush. Use your imagination!" read Malfoy, "Potter, you are a total bastard."

I looked at him. I have to get Malfoy, the 'Ice Prince' of the dungeon, to blush and he's calling me a bastard. Whichever deity he believes in is the bastard. Fancy putting me and Malfoy together; it's not going to work. I stood up and glanced around the circle, Malfoy mimicking me.

"Prepare the Morgue." I deadpanned.

Hermione looked at me worried. "I'll be out to check on you in seven minutes okay?" she said. I nodded.

"Best get this over with then."

We left the common room and walked silently towards the designated broom cupboard. Both of us were too engrossed in ourselves to notice the dark shadow following us.

Likewise, we didn't notice when it slipped into the cramped broom cupboard as I locked it. We did notice, however, when it decided to join the conversation with its smooth, silky voice.

"I bet you I can get the pair of you to blush, and it will only take me thirty seconds."

And he pounced. He had Malfoy pinned up against the wall with his hands, and me pinned opposite with his body. The shadow was facing Malfoy, and I hardly heard his whispered exclamation over my thumping heart.

"Vampire." He breathed.

The vampire chuckled. "Correct Draco." We both shuddered. "I have been following you both since the party several months ago."

I looked at Malfoy confused over the shoulder of the vampire. Oh, Slughorn's Slug Club party. I knew this vampire's name as well.

"Correct Harry. My name is Sanguine, and you, both of you, are the two most alluring humans I have ever smelt. Draco, you are the epitome of innocence; I do love innocence." I raised an eyebrow. Malfoy was _not_ innocent. "And you, Mr Potter. You are the darkness. Its everywhere, it surrounds you, it is in you, your blood is singing to me. You are the darkness to Mr Malfoy's light. But you do not know do you?" the vampire swivelled around to face me, and I was pinned by his hands and Malfoy by his body.

The quick reversal of positions scared me. "I don't…" I wasn't sure if to be embarrassed that my voice cracked. "I don't know what?" I asked hoarsely

Sanguine chuckled again. "You are a cursed object. Has Dumbledore told you yet? No? Horcrux." He breathed, his lips hovering over my neck, which I belatedly realised was tilted to allow him better access. I snapped my head up straight.

Malfoy gasped. "Horcrux?" he repeated faintly.

Sanguine hummed appreciatively. "A young man who knows the world. Yes, Mr Potter here knows of six of the Dark Lords Horcruxes. He knew of the existence of the seventh, but not what it is. Dumbledore feels he should be protected until the last minute. Never mind. Now Mr Potter, Mr Malfoy. Who would like to go first? We have only five minutes left, and we don't want that bushy haired girl finding us, do we. Or that pretty red head of yours Harry."

A surge of anger flowed through me. I was reeling in shock of his announcement, but it didn't really seem that surprising. But when he mentioned Ginny…

"You shut up about her. Leave her alone." I spat.

This seemed to amuse Sanguine. "I intend to. I am only after you." With that, he spun and sunk his teeth into Malfoy, letting out a sigh of contentment as he drank thirstily. I watched, frozen in panic, still pinned to the wall. Malfoy's face was rapidly loosing colour. He started convulsing, and his eyes closed. Sanguine pulled away, but he continued convulsing as he slid bonelessly to the floor.

When those blood red eyes zeroed in on my, I wouldn't have needed binding in place. I knew I was dead. Or worse than dead. Malfoy was being turned, a process that appeared painful and one that I would rather not go through. It never crossed my mind to fight; it would be pointless.

I decided to go out with dignity. I would not die screaming and pleading. I was brave, a Gryffindor. I let him. Or rather, I like to think I let Sanguine turn me.

"Mr Potter," he whispered huskily "I promised I would make you blush." He smirked wickedly and began ravishing my neck with kisses. His cold hands travelled down my torso, lingering in places where only Ginny had touched me before. I shuddered, unsure if it was in pleasure or disgust. He stopped at my left shoulder, and my face was flushed and glowing. I had just enough time to realise that the burning in my face was a result of my blushing before the pain.

Pain on top of pain, pulsing out from my shoulder where Sanguine's teeth had sunk in. I felt myself slipping, the pain became unbearable, and all of a sudden a bright light was flashed in my eyes and someone, Ginny I think, cried out my name. The teeth in my shoulder vanished and I slumped to the floor, my world now a haze of pain and darkness.

**The Year: 7072**

I found out later that it had been Ginny and Hermione who had interrupted Sanguine early. They were worried, and after five minuted decided to check up on us. The others were too involved in Neville being dared to snog Ron, full on, for the full seven minutes.

Ginny told me that Hermione had unleashed Feindfire and contained it to the cupboard to kill Sanguine while she dragged my body and Malfoy's out. They had not told anyone, just taken us to the Room of Requirement for us to ride out the pain of transforming.

They told anyone who asked that we had been talking strategy, and had been called away. It wasn't a totally unbelievable excuse; all through the year both Malfoy and I had been called out of classes, away for weekends. Me to plan Horcrux Hunting sessions, Malfoy to plan Dumbledore Killing sessions.

Getting past Dumbledore would have proven to be a problem, had I not woken up the morning after. Ginny had fallen asleep next to me. I wondered how, as I should have been throwing my limbs around everywhere in pain, but it didn't matter. She was laying there, her beautiful red hair fanned out on the pillow, her blood pumping through her gorgeous veins and arteries.

**The Year: 1997**

"Harry, don't." the soft voice from behind me shocked me. I spun around, and crouched into a defensive position. I wasn't sure where that came from, but when I saw that it was Hermione I relaxed. "You have to fight it. I have brought you something else to drink. I read that you would be hungry when you woke, but I didn't expect it to be this soon."

I took the offered cup. It was full of blood.

"It's animal blood." Hermione answered my unasked question.

"Oh." I said. My voice had changed. I drank it thirstily, and didn't leave a drop.

"So…" I began. "Can you, maybe, tell me… I mean, I hardly know what happened to me. Please explain to me Hermione! I'm supposed to be a vampire, undead. But I can hear my heartbeat!' I was beginning to get hysterical.

Hermione walked slowly over to me and fiercely gathered me into a hug.

"Aren't you afraid?" I whispered.

"Should I be?" she replied, just as softly. I thought about it. After nearly seven years of friendship, did I trust myself to keep her safe from myself? Yes.

"No," I answered her question "I don't think so."

She chuckled. "No, me either Harry." She let me go and we went to sit on sofas provided by the room.

"Basically Harry, I'm not sure what you are. Sanguine didn't fully inject venom into you. Normally, a small amount of venom would be enough to turn a person, but there seems to be something stopping it."

I knew what was stopping the venom. But was I ready to tell Hermione? She was being incredibly trusting, sitting next to a newly turned vampire and so it would only be fair.

"Do you know what a Horcrux is Hermione?" At her negative answer I continued. "It is considered to be the foulest kind of magic. The premeditated murder of another soul causes the murderers soul to be split in two. In an incredibly dark and dangerous ritual, the split soul can be stored in a container. One part of the soul always remains in the body, while the murderer chooses his container. Generally, inanimate objects are used, but real living people or animals can also be used are containers for these pieces of soul." I paused for a breath, to be shocked when I found it was unnecessary. Hermione was starting to catch on.

"Voldemort has a Horcrux. That's why he didn't die when the Killing Curse rebounded on him." She said in realisation.

I sighed, out of habit more than anything else. "Voldemort doesn't just have one Hermione. He has seven. Or he had seven."

Hermione gasped. "He would have had to murder seven times. And not just any murder, these would have to be planned, ruthless and cold blooded. How can anybody even consider…"

"Are we talking about the same bloke here Hermione?" I asked sagely. "You know, big, scary snake faced fella who kills a person if they so much as look at him funny?"

Hermione swatted my arm but pulled away with a hiss. Apparently hitting a vampire hurts.

"I know that. But it just seems slightly barbaric for him to have decided to do it. I can see the logic in having seven though. The most magically powerful number is considered to be seven. Or three. That's why three sevens or three nines are a sign of the devil. Power. People are afraid of power and the powerful."

"Yes. Voldemort believed that splitting his soul seven times would make him totally immortal. One piece of his soul resides within him; that's what Wormtail used to resurrect him. One was in the diary. Tom Riddle was seventeen when he made his first kill, and his first Horcrux. Another was in a ring that Dumbledore destroyed, killing his hand in the process. The curse that shielded the ring is slowly killing him as well. The third was in a necklace in Sirius' old house. He also had a piece in a cup of Helga Hufflepuff's, and in his snake Nagini. The last, well I wasn't sure where it was until last night. Dumbledore and I have destroyed all of the Horcruxes that I listed just then. But he claimed he didn't know where the last one was. He did though. He has always known."

Hermione's eyes lit up in understanding. "Oh Harry-"

"Don't. It has saved my life. The next time I meet him, he will try to kill me. I have his Horcrux inside of me, and I don't think he knows it. I think he would have tried harder to take me away from Dumbledore to 'protect' me, rather than just try to outright kill me. When he comes, I will be ready. I'm immortal, I think. I'm half vampire. I have his soul inside me. 'Neither can live while the other survives.' He can only survive while he is inside me!" I realised that I had started shouting. There was a breeze flowing through the room, and I took a calming breath to stop it.

Hermione was crying openly. "Harry…"

I stopped. It was my turn to comfort her. "Hermione, it will be okay. Just wait. He can't hurt me. But he can hurt you, and Ron and Ginny and everyone else I care about." I tentatively reached out to hug her, but pulled away when she gasped.

"No don't" she whispered, tears still flowing freely down her face. "Your hands are just a bit cold, that's all."

I hugged her again.

"I will be alright Hermione, I promise. Now, you have to tell me what I am, and how much you have read about this." I said, trying to lighten the mood.

She chuckled. "Well, I believe…"

**The Year 7072**

We decided that the Horcrux was stopping me from transforming fully. I had the diet of a vampire and I was strong, cold and pale. But my heart would still beat, I could still be hurt but not be killed, and I could taste food, but it would never satisfy my hunger like blood. I never went through the bloodlust like Malfoy did.

Draco woke up three days later. Snape had covered for him, as per Narcissa's Unbreakable Vow. Draco refused to tell Snape where he had been, and Snape asked no questions.

He had been confined to the Room of Requirement. When he woke, he nearly killed Ginny and Hermione, and probably would have succeeded had I not been there. We had all been to class, to avoid suspicion, but would constantly check on him.

He was understandably upset. He was a pureblood, and in one night had been turned into filth. He drank so much blood that Hermione ran out. I wasn't sure where she got it from but I never asked.

I didn't really want to know.

We survived. Draco and I went back to class, back to being enemies. But at night, we would hunt in the Forbidden Forest together. Our relationship was still strictly hate-hate, but now there was an undercurrent of understanding. We understood each other. It would be fairly hard not to; we saw each other at our most vulnerable.

I carried on.

The end of my sixth year was rather anti-climactic compared to other years. Giant puzzles, giant snakes, werewolves and conspiracies, an international tournament and the resurrection of one giant bastard, and a giant battle and the death of my godfather really don't compare to being turned into half a vampire. In fact, being half a vampire was slightly insulting. Ron liked to refer to me as 'the mutt', for reasons unknown to all outside our little group.

I found out on the train home that Draco had failed the Dark Lord. He never killed Dumbledore, though God knows it would have been incredibly easy for either of us. Snape had fulfilled his part of the Unbreakable Vow and arranged for him to stay at Grimmauld Place. I immediately saw the problem with that. Firstly, Remus, as a werewolf, would be able to smell us a mile off, and that was one hurdle I wanted to avoid for as long as possible. So I arranged with my Order guards for him to accompany me home. I hated the idea, he hated the idea, the Order hated the idea, my relatives hated the idea.

In fact, Dumbledore was the only one who thought it was a fantastic idea, and praised me on my compassion.

I did feel a bit guilty, as I was doing it more out of self preservation than anything else.

We rode home to Surrey in silence. When we arrived, Vernon ordered me to take the other freak to my room and stay there.

We did for two weeks. Draco proved to be somewhat amiable company. We were not friends, far from it. My final two weeks at Privet Drive passed almost too quickly, and before I knew it we were being whisked off to Grimmauld Place for the rest of the summer.

**The Year: 1997**

I wasn't sure if Remus blamed me for Sirius' death. After he heard the prophecy he would probably blame me for my parent's deaths as well. I did.

And if he was at headquarters, and figured me out, would it be the final straw? I should not be nervous. Malfoy wasn't. How could he not be nervous? He was heading to a house full of people that hated him and his face was still plastered with that arrogant smirk.

Bastard.

I slowly approached the front door after telling Malfoy the address. We had two guards with us, disguised as Muggles. Two more were watching from the park across the road, and two others were down the road a bit. Of course, I wasn't supposed to know, but they were making so much noise.

I took a deep breath and knocked. Tonks answered and ushered us in.

"Wotcher Harry, Draco! Come on, everybody has been hanging out to see you!" she squeezed both of us tight and bounced down the hallway towards the kitchen. If she noticed our cold, marble skin, she didn't say anything. Malfoy turned to me with one eyebrow raised.

I shrugged. "She's a bit… exuberant." There was a loud crash and a curse as she, undoubtedly ran into something or someone. "And clumsy" I said.

Malfoy gave me a look. "You don't say?" he drawled.

Surely enough, when we entered the kitchen, Remus was sprawled on the floor, covered by Tonks, with Mrs Weasley and Hermione trying to help them both up. The twins, Ron and Ginny were laughing and the scene, so full of life, almost brought tears to my eyes.

We stood at the door, both uncertain as to whether we should go in. Ginny looked up and saw me hovering at the door.

"Harry!" she squealed and ran over to me. I caught her in a hug and inhaled. She smelled fantastic, as usual. "I've missed you." She whispered when I set her down.

"Yeah, me too."

"Touching Potter, really." Malfoy smirked. I rolled my eyes; his insults weren't as sharp as usual.

"Hey Harry!" said Ron, coming over to clap me on the shoulder. "Malfoy." He said, neutrally.

Everybody had stopped to look at us now, and we were being ushered in. Mrs Weasley pushed us both into chairs and before I knew it, I had a plate of steaming food in front of me. Ron was gesturing for me to share but I knew Molly Weasley wouldn't let me. Hermione and Ginny shared a look. I gave them a quick, pleading glance and they both nodded imperceptibly. Malfoy and I both started 'eating' while Ginny and Hermione vanished little bits from our plate. Conversations started up; the twins were talking about their shop and when he had finished sulking, Ron wanted to know if they had any new products coming.

I was watching Remus out of the corner of my eye. His face was scrunched up in concentration, and he kept sniffling.

"Alright Remus?" I asked, stupidly. "You sound like you've got a cold."

He looked at me for a long moment. Thankfully nobody seemed to be paying any attention.

He smiled a bit, although it looked more like a grimace. "No, I'm fine Harry. Dust, you know, and sensitive sinuses." His smile was a bit more relaxed.

"Oh, okay then." I felt Malfoy relax at the side of me. We were out of the woods for now.

It was midnight, and Malfoy and I were in the library. We were both silently reading, trying to find a way to kill Voldemort without endangering me any more than necessary. I don't think Malfoy was doing it for me, I think he was just bored. Humans sleep for eight hours a day on average. Eight hours is a long time.

"The werewolf is at the door." Malfoy said without looking up from his book.

"Oh." I forced myself not to look up as well.

The door opened and Remus walked in. His amber eyes took in the two of us huddled in the corner and he walked purposefully over to us.

"I know what you are." He growled, slamming his hands down on the table. If he thought that would intimidate Malfoy he had another thing coming.

"I know what _you _are," drawled Malfoy "but do you see me slamming around? And if you thought that would intimidate either of us, you are sorely mistaken. Potter has escaped the Dark Lord four times now. And I've felt his anger directed at me countless times. Try again werewolf." Malfoy still had not looked up from his book. He hadn't denied or proven anything. Then again, Remus hadn't accused us of anything.

He seemed to give up on Malfoy. His attention turned to me.

"You stink. Did you think I wouldn't notice?" he asked, or rather, demanded.

I paused. "Erm… no?"

Being half-vampire and not really expecting Remus Lupin to slam me up against a wall, I promptly found myself in that exact position. Remus had slipped into a more animalistic frame of mind when he was confronted with two of the worst enemies a werewolf could have. The force he was using to pin me to the wall was crushing. If I had been fully human, the bones in my arms would be crushed and my neck broken. I knew that I would have fierce bruises in the morning.

"If you harm anybody in this house so help me. I won't care that you are Harry Potter, the Chosen One and the Boy-Who-Lived, Sirius' godson or James and Lily's son. I will tear you to pieces and scatter your ashes without blinking." He growled. He increased the pressure of my neck. Of course, I didn't strictly need oxygen, but it hurt like hell.

Malfoy moved when tears sprang to my eyes. "Let him go." He said softly.

Remus didn't even turn around, but pushed a little harder against my throat and dropped me to the ground. I lay there, gasping for air, purple bruises starting to form. A rattling crash came from the other side of the library, and I looked up to see Malfoy towering over Remus.

If it hadn't been for my heightened hearing, I would never have heard him tell Remus to stay away from me, and not tell anyone.

I couldn't do this. He hated me now. Ron had been skittish all evening and Hermione and Ginny giving me worried glances when they thought I wasn't looking. I leant back against the bookshelf I had been pinned to moments before and let out a shaky breath.

"Leave him alone Malfoy. I'll explain it to him, even if he doesn't want to listen." I whispered. Both heard me, but a human wouldn't have done.

Malfoy huffed. "I'll leave you to it then."

He slammed the library door on the way out.

Remus stood up, intending to follow him. I wasn't having that. I pulled my wand out and an invisible force pushed him into a vacant chair.

"Don't you dare, you monster."

Those words hurt me more than anything anyone could have said to me. I ducked my head in shame. It was true. I cheated death, Malfoy and I killed, and at anytime I could become so consumed with bloodlust that I could kill someone I love.

"I know." I replied hoarsely. "I am a monster. Every single fucking day. I can't say I wake up to it everyday because you can't wake up if you don't go to sleep. Instead, I spend my nights thinking about the years to come, when everyone I love has gone. That bitterness makes me more of a monster than this," I gestured vaguely to my body "than this could every make me. But don't you forget, you only found out about us because you yourself are a monster. You nearly killed me, if you care to remember. Three years ago, full moon, I'm sure you recollect. You found out that the friend you had judged, disregarding ten previous years of friendship, was in fact, innocent of everything you judged him of, and you forgot that you could get out of control, and you nearly killed me and the very people you so vehemently defended earlier. So don't tell me to watch it. You should. Because you got a hell of a lot closer to killing than I ever have." I was breathing heavily by now, and tears were threatening to fall. I blinked furiously.

Remus looked properly cowed. "You're right. I am-"

"-Remus, don't do it to yourself. Don't wallow in self-pity. I wasn't trying to have a go at you. But you just… you fucking walked in here, slammed me up against the fucking wall and told me to back off from the people I love. What the hell would you have done if someone told you to stay away from my dad and Sirius and Peter?"

He sighed. "Probably exactly what you are doing now."

Finally. "Thankyou. And strictly speaking, I'm not a vampire." Remus shuddered at the word.

"What do you mean? You absolutely reek of it." He said with his face screwed up.

"Ginny and Hermione saved me just in time. My mother's protection stopped the venom from spreading fully. At the moment, I don't sleep, I drink blood, but not as often as Malfoy. We were turned at the same time. But yes, I cannot be killed by normal means, my heart still beats, I can cry, I don't need to breathe, but it is more comfortable. I can also feel pain, and I can be hurt without dieing." I explained. Remus looked shocked and then realisation dawned.

"So earlier, when I… umm…" Remus was thoroughly abashed now. Serves him right though.

"When you had me pinned up against the wall with inhuman strength, yes?" I shouldn't torture him like that.

"Er… Yeah. I must have hurt you."

I just nodded shortly. "I'll be fine tomorrow. Don't worry."

My ears picked up Tonks upstairs. She had just woken up and wall calling out for Remus.

I chuckled, earning an odd look from my former professor. "You had better get upstairs. I think Tonks is waiting for you."

He blushed and left in a hurry. Malfoy came back in smirking.

One look and we both lost it to a fit of giggles. Manly giggles of course.

We may be the most beautiful creatures on the planet, but we were men, not girls.

**The Year: 7072**

Our summer passed quickly. Malfoy established a tentative relationship with me and my friends. It must have been hard for him. He couldn't return home for fear of being tortured and killed, which would have inevitably lead to him being found out, and either killed, or manipulated to killing.

It is incredibly easy to starve a vampire of what they need the most, and then unleash them onto an unsuspecting crowd.

I should know.

Before we knew it, we had been at school a term. Voldemort had been quiet. To sound clichéd, he had been too quiet.

It turned out he wasn't being quiet. He was preparing. Gathering his forces.

**The Year: 1997**

Malfoy and I were staying for the Easter break. Most Seventh Years were; we had to prepare for our NEWTS. I couldn't be sure if Hermione was more worried or excited about the upcoming exams.

We were studying together in the Room of Requirement. Malfoy often came here. His status as Prince of Slytherin was useless now. He might as well be a Mudblood. Luckily, depending on how you look at it, his vampiric nature repelled most, and he was, for the most part, left alone.

I had just reached the crucial part in my potions essay where I had to accurately describe the effect Essence of Sicestone would have when a loud cracking pierced our ears. The room provided a large window for us to see outside to the sweeping lawns of Hogwarts School.

A golden dome lit up the sky, surrounding the castle and grounds. On the other side of the dome wizards in black robes and silver masks were simultaneously casting spells and the golden light was dimming.

We realised what was happening together. The wards were falling.

Hermione and I had spoken of what to do when this happened. I stared her straight in the eyes and she nodded once. Before anyone knew what was happening, Malfoy and I were outside the Room, Hermione, Ron, and Neville locked inside.

I thought about Ginny. I hoped she would take my advice and stay out of it. I knew she wouldn't though. She was not one to sit about while others fought. She would be out there, doing her bit.

Malfoy seemed to know what I was thinking. "Don't worry Potter. She's a fantastic fighter. You've got to give her that."

I smiled crookedly. "Yeah, I suppose I do. Let's go."

We worked together, but alone. We covered each other, but brought down half the Death Eaters between us. The Order was there, Aurors, teachers and some of the older students. I kept an eye out for Ginny, but I didn't see her. I wasn't sure what to think. She could be one of the dead, or she could have gone to the Room, or she could still be fighting.

My momentary distraction caused a stray _Avada Kedavra _to hit my shoulder. My heart stopped and I was thrown backwards. I got back up, and my heart started again. I looked to see who had thrown the curse.

Bellatrix Lestrange.

Of course. Seven seconds later she was dead and I was holding her head in my hands. Her eyes were deranged, even in death and I swallowed momentary guilt.

"Serves you right bitch!" I dropped her head to lie beside her body.

Malfoy was holding up against at least six Death Eaters. He wasn't casting spells. He was quick, so when a spell came his way, he just moved and let it hit whichever Death Eater had decided to sneak up behind him.

I fought off another two. Not dead, but severely wounded. There was blood. Lots of blood. I was sure my eyes were starting to turn black through the contacts. I wondered how Malfoy was coping. He had it much harder than I did, being a proper vampire and all.

Then I saw her. Ginny and Colin Creevy were holding their own against Dolohov. I knew after the ministry how deranged that man was.

I decided to intervene, and at the right second it seemed. Dolohov had grown bored, and sent the purple curse he had gotten Hermione with at Ginny. I jumped in front of it, and a searing pain shot from my left hip to right shoulder. No blood came out of the wound, but it hurt like it would have done if it hit Ginny.

Dolohov looked shocked, as did Colin.

"Try that again." I dared. He didn't have chance to raise his wand. I stunned him. The man was pathetic. I would be much harder for him to deal with being stunned during a battle than for him to die. Oh for shame.

I turned to Ginny. "You okay?" she must have heard the concern in my voice, because she didn't answer with some fierce independent woman crap she normally gave me.

"Yeah, I'm okay. You?" her voice was soft. She had seen too much. But we all had.

"Of course I'm okay. I'm invincible!" I gave her a smile.

"But that's legendary Harry! You can't be invincible!" said Colin, somewhere between a shout and a squeak.

My grin grew wider. "Ahh, but didn't anyone ever tell you Colin. I'm the stuff of legend!"

Ginny giggled. Mission accomplished.

"Now, Colin, can you please make sure you and Ginny get up to the Room of Requirement and stay there. Neville, Hermione and Ron are there, and I've been sending kids up there all night. We shouldn't be out here." I didn't need to tell Ginny that I wasn't included in that we.

"Course Harry. See you up there."

Ginny turned to leave, but before she did, I grabbed her shoulders.

"Stay safe." I whispered. I crushed my lips to hers, and we kissed like it was the last time.

"I will." She said, and she was gone.

I turned back to the battle. Soon, Voldemort would arrive.

Let the fun begin!

Less than thirty minutes later Voldemort had arrived. And he was strutting up to the main doors of the castle. The only Death Eaters left had gathered behind their master. Their numbers were pathetic. There were less than fifty left. The Order had lost lives as well. Less than half of us remained. Dumbledore led us, flanked on either side by McGonagall and Snape. The way the confrontation was playing out, I half expected a tumbleweed to fly across the bloodied lawn.

Voldemort snorted when he met us. "I always knew you were a rotten traitor Snape. Your dirty blood should have been enough proof of that." He raised his wand, but the green light hit Malfoy instead. He swatted it away like a fly.

"Try again." He said lowly, threateningly. Several people shivered at the venom in his voice.

Voldemort disguised his shock by calling out his follower. "You should keep your son in line, Lucius. One would think you had no control over the boy."

Lucius Malfoy was silent but Voldemort's attention was back on Dumbledore.

"And where is young Harry. Last time we met, we parted on such bad terms." A few of his followers snickered quietly, the sycophantic cowards. "I have something, or rather, someone that I believe he would be interested in seeing."

I froze in horror. Who could he have? Remus, Tonks? No they were behind me. Ron, Hermione and Neville were definitely in the Room, and I sent Luna and Colin and Ginny up there.

I pushed my way to the front and stood in front of Dumbledore. His hand rested on my shoulder for a brief moment but I shrugged it off.

"Ah, Mr Potter. A pleasure to see you again." Drawled Voldemort. Why had everyone stopped? The Death Eaters behind him were vulnerable. Was this some odd kind of Wizarding truce? I knew the art of combat was messed up in this world.

"I can't say the same for you, I'm sorry." My biting remark was tinged with fear and he picked up on it.

"I see you are desperate to see who we have. I shan't keep it a surprise much longer. Nott!" he cried the last as an order and the elder Nott came forward, pushing none other than-

"Ginny!" I cried out, and tried, stupidly, to run to her. Her brown eyes were filled with pain, and I noticed the angle at which her arms were being held.

"Let her go." I growled.

"Now, now Mr Potter. Temper, temper. I have come to offer a trade. Your life for hers." He smirked wickedly.

I didn't give anyone behind me chance to speak.

"I'll do it. Let her go first, tell your _followers_" I spat out the word, implying quite clearly what I thought of them "to sod off and we can have your duel, as you like it. Kill me if you want. In fact, I won't even take a wand."

Cries of outrage came from behind me. Ginny was shaking her head desperately. For all my nonchalance, she knew I could still be hurt. And there are ways to kill a vampire.

Voldemort looked at me as if I was mad. "Hand over the girl Nott. I have a bigger prize."

Ginny was pushed forward and I rushed forward to catch her.

"You okay?" I asked, similarly to how I had earlier.

She responded differently this time. "No. You are a total pillock Harry Potter. I love you."

We kissed and I stepped forward.

"Touching Potter, really. But now, we fight like real men." Voldemort's smirk grew larger. "I believe you agreed to surrender your wand."

I handed it over. According to Malfoy, I just needed to let him hit me with the killing curse. He and only he could do it. The Horcrux would recognise the curse as having come from the matching part of its soul and accept it. We weren't sure what it would do to me; if I would be turned properly, or if I would remain part-part.

My turn to smile. A sad smile. We were going to do it in front of everyone. Arrogant bastard.

"Shall we get on with it then?"

"As you wish Mr Potter." Voldemort raised his wand.

"Call me Harry." I was only trying to delay the inevitable. I tried to prepare myself.

I had always thought about how I would die. When I was young, it was a case of, would I die from hunger. Then it became more of a, will my evil professor kill me? Will the giant Basilisk kill me? Will the mass murderer kill me? Will the dragon kill me? Will I die drowning? Will he kill me like he killed Cedric? Will I die from this pain? Will I ever die?

Now, I suppose, I was sacrificing my life to save Ginny's. And although it is not really dieing, I think this is how I would have wanted to go. My dieing was never a case of falling asleep and passing on.

"I shan't be calling you anything. You will be a cold, dead body. And I will be victorious." Voldemort cackled.

Did he not realise that he was being watched? Again, arrogant bastard.

He raised his wand properly. I took a deep breath and glanced at my family, gathered on the front steps of Hogwarts. A couple were missing, but they were safe.

A couple of things happened at once.

Voldemort cried out the two most used words in his vocabulary. "_Avada KedavraI"_

Someone screamed.

Blazing green light came rushing out of his wand.

I recognised the scream as Ginny's.

And I realised the curse wasn't aimed at me. It was heading straight for her.

I raced towards her, faster than any human. I was trying to race a curse, and I was losing.

Malfoy was moving faster than me.

I flung myself in front of her, but it was milliseconds too late. Her brown eyes opened wide in shock, time slowed.

Her beautiful red hair fanned out on a pillow beside me after the most painful night of my life… telling me to stay safe earlier tonight… spontaneously kissing her after that match… it seemed so long ago now… secret moments stolen between classes… my first time… her first time… sharing food before I was turned… we were going to have three kids and a dog… the last Christmas we spent together… we should have had more… so many memories…

My arms automatically went out to catch her as she began to slump forward.

I vaguely heard Mrs Weasley's anguished cries. I head Hermione's voice, trying to sooth the screaming Ron. Where had they come from? Malfoy was beside me. Dumbledore too. Her eyes were closed. Why? Why wouldn't she open them? Why won't she show me she's okay?

Just like Sirius, she wouldn't keep me waiting. She was gone, just like Sirius. Sanguine was right. I am a cursed object.

"C'mon Potter. You can do this later. Voldemort is not going to stop for you to grieve." Whispered Malfoy hoarsely in my ear. Only I could hear him. I let Ginny down slowly.

I nodded, and blinked back tears uselessly. I was suddenly overcome by a rage so powerful it was all consuming. I had never felt this out of control before. Not even when I hunted. I wanted to kill, so badly… I marched towards Voldemort and his followers. My wand flew into my hand.

"You coward!" I screamed "You fucking bastard. Kill me I said. I made a deal with you!" Hermione gasped, and Ron stopped shouting. "Fuck my deal! _Avada Kedavra!_" The green light hit a tree.

"Harry no! Don't become consumed!"

I nearly screamed. That was Ginny's voice. I snapped my head to glance at her but she wasn't moving. I moved so quickly nobody could have known I had even looked over.

"Ah, how lovely. Potter decided to fight back." Voldemort cackled. Hate bubbled again. "Never mind. I will hold my end of the deal. Goodbye Potter. _Avada Kedavra!"_

This time it was aimed at me. I could have moved. Moved and I could fight back. Kill him ruthlessly, like I so wanted to. The animal, the monster inside of me was screaming for revenge and I knew it would be so incredibly _easy_ for me to do it. But he would never be truly dead unless I was hit with the curse first. In about the only level headed decision I have ever made, I let it hit me square in the chest, and both Voldemort and I were thrown back several metres. I was back on my feet in seconds. I felt cleansed when the curse washed over me. Like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I wondered how I had lived with it there.

I towered over Voldemort. He was sprawled on the ground. I wondered if I should take him out now, while he was vulnerable. But I would not sink so low. I would not become like him.

"Stand up coward." I spat. "Face me like a man! I want to see the light leave your eyes!" I quoted.

He looked afraid, as he should do.

Didn't stop him from having one last go at my life. Voldemort was nothing but persistent.

"_Avada Kedavra!"_

"_Expelliarmus!"_

Like that night, two and a half years ago, our curses collided, but this time mine forced his back. His seventh of a soul was consumed immediately. I set his body on fire and turned to his followers.

"If I were you, I would run. Run away. And don't come back with illusions of grandeur and power. Don't come back with bagfuls of money intent on bribing your way out. In fact, I'd rather you pissed off to some hole and never came out. Come back if you want to help clean up the mess you made." I hissed. They seemed to get the message.

I turned away from the blaze and walked back towards the steps. Wordlessly, I picked Ginny up and walked to the Hospital Wing where all the dead and wounded were going.

**The Year: 7072**

They say that time heals everything.

That cannot be any further form the truth.

I was dating Ginny for eight months, two weeks and three days. I could go to hours. It's seventeen. And fifteen minutes.

Nearly five thousand years later her needless death still haunts me.

**The Year: 1997**

Ginny's funeral was the worst day of my immortal existence thus far.

I was a coffin bearer. As if there weren't enough boys. Bill and Charlie, Fred and George, Mr Weasley and Percy, Ron and I placed along either side.

The Weasleys tried to refuse the money I gave them. I felt cheap all the while. A few thousand wasn't going to bring her back, nor was it going to be enough to sum up her life. Nothing could ever be enough to do that. But they accepted the money. I think it had something to do with Ron. He knew what my intentions were, even when I couldn't make them clear.

The ceremony was terrible. Charlie did the Eulogy. Luna led the Hymn. And lowering her into the ground was painful. The soft patter of dirt on the lid of the coffin disgusted me. That was Ginny in there. When it was over I wanted to run over and pull her out.

Denial.

Her mother and father, her whole family was inconsolable. She was always the special one, the only girl, the youngest.

She was a friend to everyone after the horrific events of her first year. She was beautiful, charismatic, and full of life and hope. She was intelligent, she was just Ginny.

She was dead.

And people could say it wasn't my fault until they were blue in the face. Nobody seemed to understand that it was my fault. If she had never been attached to me she would not be dead. The Weasley family would be complete. If I had just left everyone alone like Remus had said, she would be here. And I wouldn't. I could have done it. I could have defeated Voldemort without them.

I was lying to myself.

After the funeral was worse. Every room I walked into in Grimmauld Place reminded me of her. Her mum caught us on that sofa. We sat there, giggling and reading an article on the Hottest Bachelors of 1997 (I won) in Witch Weekly, cleverly disguised by an Ancient Runes book of Hermione's. She wrapped me in Christmas paper in this room, and made me wriggle like a worm down the hallway, before Sirius finally took mercy on me.

I had to leave.

Malfoy was, surprisingly right behind me. Ron and Hermione had each other. Ron was a good drinking buddy, and he understood, but it just wasn't enough. Malfoy wasn't my friend. He didn't try to cheer me up. He just was.

"I reckon it's changed us all. It'll change everything really." Ron said over Firewhiskey. Thankfully I could still get drunk enough to dull pain as a vampire.

"Yeah." I said my voice hoarse from misuse.

"I can't imagine what you're going through. I mean, Ginny was my sister. It fucking hurts you know. But you… it's un-fucking-believable."

I nodded. "I just keep expecting… I don't know. It's surreal. Where's the Ginny that stuck her elbow in the butter dish? Where's my Ginny? I've lost my Hermione."

**The Year: 7072**

I expected the world to discover mine and Malfoy's deep, dark secret. After some of the stunts we pulled in the last battle. But Malfoy had retreated into a nobody since we had been turned as his actions were ignored, much like he was.

And I was the Chosen One. The Stuff of Legend.

We lived in peace for several years.

The pain of losing Ginny dimmed. I hadn't forgotten, but I was l happier. Hermione told me that nobody had any idea of what we were.

Dumbledore had questioned her a few times, but she gave nothing away, feigning ignorance.

But the old man got curious. There was obviously something different, apart from grief. I never ate around people, unless it was with Ron and Hermione alone. I only touched them and Malfoy. I was always pale, and had shadows under my eyes although that could be because I never went out in the sun. Hermione always had some excuse ready for me if I ran out. I healed incredibly fast after the Final Battle. I never got hurt at work, never had a sick day, and worked at my desk on sunny days. I applied for Auror training and got in. I was now fully qualified, but I still looked like a seventeen year old. I was supposed to be twenty six.

Hermione came to me one night, her hair hung limp from the rain, her eyes were red; she had been crying.

I ushered her in, and she told me.

Dumbledore knew, and was organising the Order to kill Draco and myself.

**The Year: 2006**

"British Airways Flight 0049 to Seattle will commence boarding shortly. Passengers please make your way to Gate 53."

I picked up my carry-on bag and started walking swiftly toward the gate. I stopped several paces away from the steadily forming que to wait for Draco, who had been stood stock still.

"Aren't you coming Malfoy?" I called out to behind me.

Draco turned around, his face paler than usual.

"We aren't _flying _in one of _them _are we Potter?" he asked, pointing to a large jet taxing into the terminal. I noticed his hand was shaking.

"Surely you aren't scared Malfoy! Muggles do this all the time!" I said cheerfully grabbing the blonde's hand, dragging him away from the window and towards the gate. Oh I was going to have fun with this! The past few days had been nothing but fear. I made sure Hermione and Ron would be safe, packed everything I owned into one suitcase and convinced Malfoy to do the same. Hermione found a small town in America, where the forecast was always rain, and if it wasn't rain, it was fog. And, on the odd occasion when it wasn't foggy, it was snowing. It was surrounded by forest for us to hunt, the population was miniscule and the nearest magical community was several hundred miles away. She removed all tracing charms from our wands, and booked us on flights. She did all of this without talking to either of us first, claiming there was no time to worry about trivial details. She handed me a blue folder this morning, full of money, traveller's cheques, tickets, car hire information, our accommodation reservation and the details of a house we had apparently expressed interest in. All money had been transferred from my account to a Muggle bank. We were legally emancipated by the government of Great Britain and Ireland, and were enrolled at the local high school using fake birth certificates. We were keeping our own names to save confusion and unnecessary slip-ups. I planned to quiz Draco on our back story on the flight.

We boarded quickly, and were led to their seats with a charming, first class smile. Thankfully, Hermione had booked us First Class, where the seats were just that little bit further away from humans and their tantalizing blood.

We sat in relative silence while the other passengers boarded. By some twist of fate, the seats directly in front and behind of us were empty. I pulled out a newspaper and settled it over my knee, reading a ridiculous story about Gypsies eating Londoner's pets. Some of the points were valid; the gypsies could get rabies, but some like the gypsies are immune to rabies because they originated in Poland, were just ridiculous. Draco kept trying to glance at the headlines, but I flittered the newspaper out of his line of sight, knowing it would irritate him. When the captain announced that we would be away shortly, I calmly folded my paper up and put it back in my carry-on bag.

The plane hadn't even taken off and Malfoy was already a bundle of nerves. He had torn the in-flight magazine into several hundred small pieces, earning himself a mild glare from the Airhostess and an amused smirk from me.

The plane jerked into motion as it began to taxi towards the runway. Malfoy's hands gripped the seat just a little tighter. The plastic groaned under his grip.

"You know," I stated casually, "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were afraid of flying."

"M'not" The short, sharp answer proved that I was right.

"Why are you holding on so tight then?" I asked, feigning genuine confusion.

Malfoy froze. He turned his head very slowly to stare directly into my eyes.

"It's nothing. Just a bit of bloodlust is all. So many people. I don't know how you are doing it. Actually I take that back. Lucky bastard." The words came out very slowly and deliberately.

I shrugged and leant down to rummage in my carry-on. I resurfaced seconds later, triumphantly holding a brown paper bag. He offered the bag out to his travelling companion.

"Blood Pop?"

Draco was about to take one when the plane lurched forward suddenly and he was pulled back into his seat.

"What the fuck Potter?" he nearly screamed.

"So you are scared!" I raised an amused eyebrow. I wasn't affected at all by the steadily increasing speed of the plane. "Relax. We're just taking off. In a few minutes-ah- see now we're climbing, and soon we'll even out and you'll hardly know that you are thousands of feet above the world."

Malfoy nodded, some colour returning to his cheeks. He reached over and grabbed a Blood Pop out of the bag and sighed contentedly as he swirled his tongue over the sweet coppery taste.

"I do hope you have a lot of these Potter. They are fantastic!"

"Quite. Now shut up. We have several hours of flying left, and I am going to finish the crossword." I said pulling out my paper from before and flipping to the puzzle section. I was momentarily considering Sodoku over crossword…

"But Potter!" whined Draco "What am I going to do?"

I gave him a look that I hope said quite clearly 'It's not my problem and I don't care'.

"Watch a movie or something." I waved my hand dismissively. "Or get a kids entertainment pack and colour in the pretty planes. I don't care." I leant over my crossword and filled in one across. The Sodoku was rated Hard.

Draco sighed and resigned himself to not getting any more entertainment out of me, thank god. Perhaps he would watch one of the movies, or he could torment some Muggles; undoubtedly entertainment enough for him. I looked over inconspicuously. He was watching the safety demonstration with widening eyes.

"Potter, you bastard." He deadpanned when the hostess explained the brace position.

I just laughed and filled in two across.

* * *

A/N: Please let me know what you think. It's always fantastic to receive feedback!


	2. Part II

A/N: I've had a couple of reviews asking about pairings. I am definitely not going to pair Draco and Harry. Nor am I going to split up any of the established couples. Alice and Jasper will stay together, as will Rosalie and Emmet, and Carlisle and Esme. To be honest, I don't see why every character has to be paired up, but meh… I'm looking at EC/HP but don't quote me, and I have a couple of ideas for Draco, but haven't decided on which one is best. (maybe a Malfoy/Newton relationship hehe) Either way, his relationship with who/what ever isn't a major focus of the story.

And the 7072 stuff. About why Harry isn't over Ginny. There is a point to it, just not in the first chapter. I mean, we didn't find out about Horcruxes on page one of the Philosophers Stone. Plots build and develop over time. But I appreciate that there was probably a bit too much chopping and changing, so I've tried to combine the points in this chapter so there are only two time changes.

And thanks to EternalFlame105, for telling me that Twilight was set in 2005. This is set in 2005, and I've been back and changed the dates… oops!

Feedback is appreciated! Thanks to the 12 Reviewers, and to the 23 people who put me on their Favourites and the 44 who put me on Alerts. Thankyou!

Hermione was right, but then again, when was she not?

Forks was, quite possibly, the most cloud covered town on the whole planet.

It was also a very tight knit community and the arrival of two young British boys, who 'Mary Sue down at the Dew's old place had on good sources were quite dashing' attracted attention.

I was keeping up appearances when I overheard the cashier at the grocery shop comparing Draco and myself to some mysterious family. The Callums… no Cullens. At her snooty tone I wondered what these Cullens had done to annoy her. I flashed a winning smile, started up some small chat while I paid, and walked off with another charming grin.

The best rumour I heard after that was the one that we were gay.

I told Draco about it.

We were having dinner on the fourth night. We'd been in the forest for hours and Draco had caught my elk. I'd been playing with it for hours. When I said such, he wiped his lips and grinned from over the carcass.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with your food?" he asked smirking. He had been trying to get me back for the whole 'flying in a metal death trap where they _teach_ you the best way to _survive_ a crash as soon as you get on' incident. As it turns out, Malfoy didn't like flying after all.

"Making crap references to the fact that my parents are dead won't win you any points." I said nonchalantly. "And anyway, my mother did tell me not to play with my food. She also told me not to take it up the arse from blonde pricks but apparently I ignored that bit of advice as well."

I smirked as a spray of blood left Draco's mouth. "You _what?!" _

"Oh nothing." I was smirking so much I felt like inspecting my nails. Very Malfoy-esque. "Half the town seems to think we are with MI5, the other half thinks we're two young lovers who escaped the vile prejudice of Britain to live in America where we can be open about our relationship." Oh the melodrama.

Malfoy looked contemplative. "They aren't far off Field Agent Potter. You did do that one case if MI5, and we are escaping the vile prejudices of England, but the lovers bit? Fuck Potter. Eww, no I did not just think that! Dammit! The idea of me even snogging you is repulsive. I'd rather snog Voldemort." He said, face screwed up, as if imagining something terribly disgusting.

"Thanks Malfoy," I deadpanned "You really know how to boost an ego don't you?"

"You're welcome."

Bastard.

We had one week to settle into our new home. I had shrunk and packed most of my furniture, as had Malfoy and so setting up wasn't a problem. We made short appearances in town, buying food and other essentials. I drove us into Port Angeles and we hired a moving van from the car rental company.

Luckily our house was set a fair way off from the road, and was surrounded by trees so it was only necessary to drive the truck around town for a bit to give the illusion that we had been out and bought furniture for our new home.

The relationship between Malfoy and I was still tentative. We were friends, of a fashion; we bickered like cat and dog but told each other pretty much everything. The hatred that used to be there was gone. Over the years, and particularly after Ginny, we had come to tolerate each other.

We were still polar opposites; he dressed like Lord Snooty and I dressed like a normal person.

That may be a slightly biased opinion.

He didn't talk, he drawled. Whenever we went out he had people blushing from inferiority, while I had people instantly attracted to me. He intimidated people, I put them at ease. He fought with me about everything, even about which type of milk to get.

Did it really matter if we had low fat or full cream? We drank blood, not milk.

Hermione had Flooed in on the Sunday before we were due to start school. Ron would be joining us as soon as he escaped his family. Thankfully the Weasleys believed that such drastic action against Malfoy and I was uncalled for. Apparently Dumbledore was furious that we had escaped. Ron and Hermione had convinced him that Malfoy and I had manipulated them. She wouldn't go into further detail but she seemed to believe that they were off the hook.

I hoped so. Albus Dumbledore was a man that stopped at nothing to satiate his curiosity. I dreaded to think what would happen if he discovered that Ron and Hermione were covering for us.

I wondered what drove the man to killing us. After all, we had been vampires (or half) for nearly a decade, and never hurt anyone. Malfoy and I had seriously advantaged his side during the war, and I beat Voldemort. Surely he could see that we meant no harm.

I remembered Remus' reaction during the summer between our sixth and seventh years. When I had been out in public with him before, he had been largely ignored, the occasional caustic remark from a particularly rude shopper, but nothing violent.

Now that I thought about it, I had never seen a vampire while in the Wizarding world, apart from Sanguine.

I asked her about it.

"Well, no Harry. Generally werewolves are tolerated more than vampires. A few years before Grindelwald, a group of rogue vampires went on a rampage across Britain and Europe. They had a particular taste for children." She bit her lip, as if debating whether to continue. "There was a massive hunt for vampires, and the Ministry handed out unprecedented rewards. On top of this, the vampires have their own form of government, outside the laws of any other governing body. Basically, this government decides if a vampire is killed, and a vampire can be killed for a number of infractions. Turning a child, telling a Muggle, putting the race in danger are all examples of crimes punishable by death. The Ministry feared that by having their own government the vampires could take over Magical Britain. It became a witch hunt in the 1920's. Fiendfire was discovered as the most effective way to exterminate vampires."

"Oh. Right." The way she said exterminate, it made me sound like a pest.

She looked at me, concerned. "Do you want to me to continue?" she asked, softly.

Of course I did! I never knew any of this!

I nodded, and jumped a bit when she grabbed my hand. "So cold…" she muttered "Dumbledore is particularly against you because of the stigma attached to you, and the bad publicity he is currently receiving for not warning the public about the dangers of being around you. You were in an official position in the Ministry, and in their eyes, you endangered the lives of hundreds of humans each day. You were close to both Muggle and Magical Parliament, you were the defeater of the worst threat the Wizarding World has had in over a hundred years. People trusted you, the public believed that they trusted you to keep them safe, but to hear that you are actually one of the most feared creatures on this earth – I think that shook them up more than anything."

At my outraged look she hurried on. "I'm not saying their betrayal is justified. In fact, it is you who should feel betrayed. But I'm trying to explain why the public is against you. And it doesn't explain Dumbledore's reaction. I thought he, well, to be honest Harry, I thought the reason he kept as much from you as he did is that he came to care for you."

I snorted. "Hermione, he kept so much from me. I asked him when I was eleven why he targeted me. Dumbledore didn't think I should know. Too young he said. How young is too young? Instead, he decided to tell me after I watched the murder of my godfather. I already felt guilty of Sirius, but not hours after he tells me that it was my fault that my parents were hunted like they were. Isn't fifteen too young to hold that guilt? Isn't fifteen too young to hold the weight of the world on your shoulders? Isn't sixteen too young to have your life changed. Hell, it's not even life, it's fucking eternity. Dammit! Isn't seventeen too young to hold my girlfriend, knowing that it is entirely my fault that she is dead? Isn't seventeen too young to kill? I fucking did it all. And now, the very people who I saved from unwarranted prejudice seem to hate me for something I had no choice in. I had no choice when Sanguine bit me. Just like you had no choice when you were born to Muggles!"

I realised belatedly that having a go at her was probably not the best idea.

Her eyes welled up, whether in anger or sadness I couldn't tell. Until she started talking. "I know Harry. I'm here aren't I?" it was one of the first times I'd had Hermione shouting at me. "It's not me being a bigoted idiot, so don't have a go at me! As for being a vampire; I know you can't help it. You and I, nobody can change the past. Ginny died, isn't it enough that you were ready to sacrifice yourself for her? You tried to get to her, Harry I was there, but you need to accept that there is nothing anybody can do. When that green light comes rushing at you, you have no defence."

Why was she telling me this? I knew it already. The only one to ever survive the Killing Curse was me. Always and only me.

"Harry, why do you think I chose this dreary, boring town? Yes, there is no sun, but there are plenty of places in Britain that are under a near constant cover of cloud and fog. Forks is small town, nothing exciting, nothing interesting, nothing life-threatening. You can just relax here. You have a long life ahead of you, and Ron and I won't always be here. You need to start making the most of what you've got, and stop brooding. It's like fifth year all over again."

I smiled a bit, knowing she was right. "Thanks Hermione. I… I really needed that, didn't I?"

She smiled back, her watery grin melting my heart. "Yeah, I think you did."

I saw Malfoy standing at the doorway, smirking as we hugged.

And I wondered how he was coping. His parents had died in the Final Battle, his friends had fled, his name smeared. But he just carried on, being his usual bastardly self.

A newfound respect for him blossomed. I smiled at him and his smirk faltered a bit. I jerked my head, indicating that he should come in.

When Ron arrived an hour later, I felt like the happiest vampire on Earth. I had my family, and Malfoy was smiling, the first proper smile I had ever seen on him.

Hermione was, as usual, right. I had to make the most of my time with them.

**The Year: 7072**

I remember my first day at Forks High School with impeccable clarity. We had scoped out the town in our week off and so finding the school wasn't a problem.

We had a near never ending supply of Blood Pops for just in case. Although the lollies did contain a percentage of blood, they served as more of a distraction for us than as a relief from bloodlust.

We tried to enrol in the same classes, but as we were coming in the middle of the semester there were limited places in each class. To make sure that we could keep in touch during classes, we each charmed each of our schoolbooks to act like Riddles journal.

I remember feeling sick while I made them.

If either of us had a problem in class, we could write a message in the margin and it would seemingly sink into the book. The message would then show up in the margin of the other's book.

I was thankful for our clever idea on the first day. I nearly killed one of my classmates, later finding out later that it was a highly contested title.

**The Year: 2005**

I pulled the hire car up in the student car park. Small groups of people were gathered around cars and the grounds, loitering and mingling before the start of school.

I cut the engine and took a deep and unnecessary breath. Neither of us moved and I felt compelled to break the silence.

"Remember the cover story?"

Malfoy raised an eyebrow at me. "Do you take me for an idiot Potter? We are two gays who worked in MI5, but had to run when the government discovered our secret and sordid sex tapes that involved me, you, Tony Blair and the Union Jack." he drawled sarcastically.

I should have known better than to expect a reasonable answer from him. We both knew the story as if we had lived it. It wasn't that different from our actual past.

We were both orphans who met at boarding school when we were eleven. Our parents were substantially well off, and it was their money that paid for our tuition. When my girlfriend was killed in a car accident, we decided to move away. My friend arranged everything for us, and we left England behind, hoping to make a fresh start. We hoped that with such a terrible history people would leave us alone about it, and hence we would have less chance of slipping up and getting caught out.

Malfoy was staring at me. "You okay Harry?" Contrary to popular belief, Draco Malfoy was able to show concern for someone other than himself.

"Yeah," I answered, sighing a bit as I did "I will be. First day nerves I think." I tapped my palm against the steering wheel. "Shall we?"

"We shall." Said Malfoy, opening the car door.

I followed suit, grabbing my bag off the back seat and slinging it over my shoulder. We met at the front of the car, and walked together across the car park towards the main building.

I could feel the curious stares as we walked, and heard the talk as soon as we stepped out of the car.

I supposed we did look a bit odd. We were the two new kids, from England according to town gossip. And there was me, in dark jeans, a t-shirt and leather jacket, and there's Malfoy, in black trousers and a button up shirt, jacket tossed casually over his shoulder. His shoes were black and polished; my trainers were scuffed and loosely tied.

"Potter, why are they staring at us like Neanderthals?" Malfoy whispered out the corner of his mouth.

"Well Draco, I suppose it's because we are the new attraction. That and you are probably the best dressed bloke in town. I told you not to dress so formally." I muttered back.

"I told you not to dress like a beggar but you didn't listen."

I rolled my eyes. "It's called comfortable fashion Malfoy. Jeans and trainers are comfortable. You look about as comfortable as a pack of chickens in a dragon pen. And anyway, these clothes cost me a fortune so you can't complain about that."

Malfoy hummed.

"And there's another thing!" I lowered my voice so no humans could hear us. "We need to start acting like we're seventeen."

"Seventeen year olds are very conscious of what they wear. Or at least I was." He smirked maliciously.

"Can you maybe, not be an arsehole for five minutes?" I snapped.

We reached the office and I threw the door open. Malfoy stood to the back, inspecting, while I organised our timetables and completed our enrolment.

"Now dears your first class is English, in Building Two. It's just down this hall here, and the third classroom on your right." The secretary smiled genially at us. "I hope you enjoy your first day. You'll feel very welcome here; your year mates are such a lovely bunch."

"Thankyou Mrs Cope. I'm sure we will." I gave her dashing British smile number seventeen as we headed out the door.

"I don't know why you insist on doing that." Huffed Malfoy as soon as the door to the office shut.

"Doing what?"

"Swooning everyone!" he sounded very annoyed. Or jealous.

"Swooning? Oh you mean, being nice to people? Yes I can see how you don't understand." I flashed a group of nearby girls the same smile, just to get a rise out of him.

"See what I mean! You get them all giggly and blushing and then they never leave you alone." His grey eyes narrowed. He had remembered the contacts then.

"Look, does it matter? I'm nice, you're not. Girls still fancy you, because you look like a blonde Mr Darcy incarnate so you don't have to worry about me stealing the competition, alright? Now let's get to class. I want to get there early so I can make a good impression. And anyway, I don't need to smile at girls to make them fancy me. It's in the blood." I started walking faster, heading in the direction Mrs Cope had sent us. The game was boring me.

"You are so arrogant Potter." Malfoy muttered.

I grinned. "Now that, Malfoy, is one thing I don't deny."

In English we were studying Pride and Prejudice. The teacher actually asked us if we went to the Lakes District often.

I almost asked if he visited the Statue of Liberty often, but surprisingly Malfoy interrupted.

"Harry didn't tend to get out much." He said, earning me sympathetic looks. Prick. "But yes, I holidayed there once or twice with my family. It is quite a scenic area."

The teacher nodded, and continued with his lecture. I was relieved when the bell rang. I appreciated that Pride and Prejudice was an integral part of literature, but honestly, to pick it apart that much destroyed the magic of it.

Jane Austen did not sit down to write thinking 'Hey in a few centuries school children will be examining this so I must be careful what I write.' I opened my mouth to tell Draco when I was interrupted from behind.

"Hey!" I turned around, and was faced with a cheery blonde and a guy whose hair was greasier than Snapes. "I'm Mike, Mike Newton and this is Eric. Do you guys want some help getting to your next class?"

"Yes, definitely."

"No."

I turned to look at Malfoy. "What?"

He ignored me and stared at Mike. "No, we do not want your help. At all. Come on Potter, we can use the map."

I grabbed his forearm before he could walk off. "Malfoy! Stop being rude!" I hissed under my breath.

"I agreed to come to this stupid school. I did not agree to make friends with the mindless plebeians." He shook out of my grip and started walking.

I smiled at Mike. "Sorry about him. He got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." I felt his glare from the other end of the corridor. "My name is Harry, by the way, Harry Potter."

"Nice to meet you." Said Mike, grinning and holding out his hand.

"Yeah," said Eric, the first time I'd heard him speak. "Nice."

Mike and Eric walked with me to Social Science. They had Government next door.

Mike introduced me to a group of girls that were in my Social Science class; Jessica, Angela and Lauren. Angela seemed nice, Jessica seemed to be a bit of a Parvarti and Lauren was a definite Lavender. She was all over me, even after I told the girls why Draco and I had moved to Forks. The other two offered condolences, and however meaningless, at least they didn't try to get in my pants in a sympathy shag.

I was, however, smugly satisfied when Malfoy turned up, nearly five minutes late. He was let off, being new, and slid into the set next to me.

I was taking notes when a message appeared in the margin of my book.

_Potter, can you smell something?_

I sniffed the air surreptitiously.

_No, why?_

_Because Potter, unless your scent has changed in the last twenty minutes there is another vampire in this room. _

_Sod off! _

_Just keep an eye out. They could be like us, or they could be outside, waiting for young blood. Actually,have you got a Blood Pop on you? I'm bloody thirsty._

_Bad pun Malfoy. Yes I do, but you'll have to wait until we are out of class. There's only fifteen minutes 'till lunch. Can you wait?_

_I suppose. Just remember Potter, keep an eye out._

_Will do Malfoy. Now look up, you've been staring at your book for too long, the teacher probably thinks you are up to no good._

_Aren't I?_

I made a quick scribble over the notes indicating that I had finished talking. Or writing.

I did heed Malfoy's advice though. I had a look around the room, but couldn't distinguish any possible vampire in the class.

Until I was forced to look out of the window. A bird flew into the window with a large bang, making everyone's eyes turn towards it. But my eyes weren't focused on the window, but the two occupying the table beneath the window.

They were pale, incredibly so, with perfect skin. The girl was small, dark haired and pixie-like. The boy was tall, lean and had copper bed-head hair.

The girl was muttering to him, lips moving incredibly fast. I strained to hear what she was saying.

"Calm down Edward. You can do this. He's over the other side of the classroom. He's too far away. Don't think about it. Class is nearly over, we can go grab some lunch and be back before next lesson."

The boy, Edward, didn't reply. He must've felt my stare because his head snapped up and his eyes focused in on mine.

His dark black eyes. Oh crap. A hungry vampire in a school full of kids was one thing I did not want to happen. If he went on a rampage, and people back home found out that I was here, there would be hell to pay.

The girl sitting with him started staring at me as well and I ducked my head, quickly scribbling a note to Malfoy.

_Over in the corner. Girl and guy. I think they're your vampires. _

I could still feel the heat of their stares burning the back of my head.

_Yes, I think so too. I wonder what they are doing here._

_Probably the same thing as us._

_We'll talk about it at lunch._

We would try.

Lunch was interesting. We sat alone, despite Mikes requests that we join him, at a table not too far from the door. Malfoy took my books to the table, and scattered them out while I brought us food, which Malfoy complained about.

He eyed it suspiciously when I put his tray down in front of him.

"What?" I snapped, exasperatedly. The line was long and I was surrounded by humans and their stupid, delicious blood waiting for food that I wasn't going to eat.

"You can't expect me to eat that! It's practically-"

"It's food Malfoy! Stop bloody complaining!" Having spent the last quarter of an hour being glared at my patience had run out. My main reason for not sitting with Mike and his friends.

"Whatever Potter. Can I have a Blood Pop? I couldn't find them in there." He gestured to my now almost empty school bag. That must've been what he was looking for.

I grabbed us each a Blood Pop and a set of coloured contacts for Malfoy out of my satchel. His venom was starting to dissolve his contacts so his eyes were a murky silver colour.

"Remember to put these in. Your eyes are starting to change." I said, handing over the small plastic box. Malfoy took them without question.

"So, about these vampires-" he started. I cut him off when the girl in question walked into the dining hall with a different boy. They were followed by another couple and the Edward. Malfoys eyes followed their every move. They grabbed a tray of food each and sat at the table across from us.

"We leave it, for now." I muttered, knowing full well that they could hear me. We both pretended to eat our lunch, vanishing small portions like we were used to. All our attention was focused on the table next to us.

From the way they were sitting and their conversations we learned their names and that they all seemed to be together, except for Edward. The girl from Social Science, Alice was with the blonde guy, Jasper. He appeared to concentrate on every movement he made. There was a blonde girl, Rosalie and a brawny, buff guy, Emmet, who were in the year above Malfoy and me. And then there was Edward. After watching them at lunch I knew that Malfoy hadn't been lying.

They were all pale, and I was willing to bet, cold as ice. They had purple shadows under their eyes, a natural trait of vampires. Their eyes were all amber, indicating that these weren't people suckers. Their skin was perfect, their movements deliberate and they didn't eat anything. They moved the food around the plate giving the illusion of eating but not once did food actually go in any of their mouths.

I rolled my Blood Pop across my tongue and jerked my head towards the kitchen. Malfoy got the message and we stood, simultaneously and put our trays away.

"That's them." Malfoy muttered while I stacked our trays.

"Definitely. We're going to have to be careful, until we figure them out." I whispered back.

He nodded and we walked back to our table. I smiled at Mike and some of the other people I had met during the day, while Malfoy looked disinterested.

I gathered my books up from where Malfoy had scattered them in boredom. I strained my ears, trying to hear what they were saying.

"Yes, but why would a human hang around him, without being dinner or knowing?" said Alice.

"I don't know!" snapped Edward. "The blonde one is definitely like us. The other one smells of human. Why would a human hang around if he knew? Look at him; he's so comfortable around the blonde guy."

I ducked under the table "Malfoy, where did you put my Biology book?"

"I don't know, it'll be around." He said, noncommittally. I focused back on the conversation at the opposite table.

"He doesn't know. Everyday he's at danger."

"Edward," a new voice joined the argument. It was different from Alice's, and definitely female so it must be Rosalie "Does it matter? He's human. Who cares? Not me."

"Of course you don't Rosalie." Edward sounded exasperated. "I'm just saying, it's odd. And the blonde's motives are not clear enough for us to ignore him. He could be a threat to us."

"Edward is right. Until we know exactly what we are dealing with, we shouldn't ignore it. Just don't attract attention to ourselves or him." The new voice was a soft male, and I figured it must have been Jasper. Emmet looked to big to have such a soft voice.

"Potter, how long are you going to crawl around under the table for?" snapped Malfoy, nudging me in the side with his foot.

"However long it takes me to find my book, which you threw somewhere in your hunt for sweets!" The conversation opposite stopped, seemingly in favour of listening to ours.

"Potter, I've been holding it for the past five minutes." I looked up, and sure enough, Malfoy was stood, biology book in hand, stupid smug smirk plastered all over his face.

"Right. I'll wipe that stupid smirk off your face!" I pounced, launching up off the floor, grabbing my book, my bag and his in one fluid motion. He watched me, amused, and so I snatched his Blood Pop out of his mouth. I was tempted it shove it in mine, but reconsidered. Cooties.

As I swiftly exited the dining hall, I heard Emmet say to Jasper "I reckon that don't attract attention to him plan is going to end up screwed."

Malfoy followed me out of the hall, and chased me into the nearby woodland. It wasn't fair, I reflected, as he sat on my chest, bag of Blood Pops in his fist, two in his mouth.

"You know Potter, I could sit like this for hours." He enunciated the hours, stretching the vowels out.

I glared up at him, bound and silenced on the floor.

"You're right of course. There's only five minutes until your next class. And we ran for what? A good ten. So I figure you're late enough. And then you have to find your way to Building Three for biology. I'm afraid you are going to be rather late." He shook his head in mock disappointment. "Deary, deary me Potter. Looks like your 'good impression' run isn't going to last." He stood up and stepped back.

Step back indeed. When I got up of this floor I was going to kill him. I hate being late. Stupid git, it was all his fault anyway. He cast the counter-curse, and waited until I got up off the floor. I stood and glared at him.

His eyebrow twitched. I took a small step forward. His hand twitched. I pulled my wand out of my pocket and twirled it in front of me.

"You know Malfoy, few people anger me. Peter Pettigrew, Bellatrix Lestrange and Voldemort. All pissed me off, all dead."

He was off. "Bye Potter. See you in gym!" he called over his shoulder.

I chuckled. Coward. I gathered my belongings and ran in the direction of the school. Greenery flew passed me, the wind rushing against my face. I would never tire of this exhilaration. It was almost as freeing as flying.

I slipped into class two minutes before the bell rang. The teacher, Mr Banner signed my slip, handed me a textbook and directed me to my seat.

"You can sit next to Mr Cullen. He'll be able to help you catch up on any work you have missed." I returned his friendly smile and turned towards the table his hand was pointing to.

Oh. Edward the Vampire's last name is Cullen. Fantastic.

I slid into the empty seat next to him with a wary smile. "Harry Potter." I didn't put my hand out in habit. People were usually shocked at how cold it was.

Edward looked at me oddly. I suppose if I found what I thought was a human and a vampire living together I'd be a bit cautious. "Edward Cullen." He didn't hold out his hand either. In fact, he seemed to be physically restraining himself. His perfecct hands gripped the desk so tightly indentations in the shape of his fingers were starting to form.

He took a controlled breath. "I hear you are from England?"

I nodded, "From around London. Forks is so small compared to it. Mind you, the weather makes me feel right at home." I grinned, but it fell slightly when Edward's face remained impassive. He took another deep breath, and his hands gripped the table a little harder.

"Oh. Well, if you require tutoring I can help." He turned away, effectively ending the conversation. This guy thought he was blending in? The only people who didn't use contractions were the Royal Family. Half of Britain was contracting contractions now; words like shouldn't've were now an essential part of the English language. Edwards's formality made me think he was at least a century old, if not more. Either that or he didn't get out much.

The door flew open and a gust of wind slapped my face, catching me unaware. I felt Edward tense beside me, and I tensed in reflex. I slowly turned to look at him, but turned away quickly. He was glaring at me, his face screwed up as if in pain. His eyes, previously a deep topaz, were rapidly darkening and all of his attention seemed to be focused on me.

Oh shit. Why does everyone want to bite me? I'm not even fully human! Did Malfoy stick a sign on my back 'Bite Me, my blood is delicious'? I knew the look Edward was giving me, because I had seen it before. When Malfoy first woke up, and for the year following, I would often have to drag him away from potential dinner.

I would not be dinner. The blood inside me wasn't even proper blood; enough to keep the Horcrux alive but not to drink. Malfoy had already tried. My body refused to give up that little bit of blood.

The desk started cracking.

"Edward? Are you okay?" I asked, sharply but softly, something which Hermione had perfected while making Ron and I study in the library.

A cloud lifted from his face. His eyes were still dark; he was still hungry, but I hoped he could hold out for an hour.

"Fine." He snapped.

I thought about pushing my luck. "Do you need to go to the Sick Bay?"

"No." he snapped again.

He didn't talk to me for the rest of the lesson, which was fine with me. The lesson was confusing, the terminology ridiculous, and entirely too difficult.

It didn't help that I hadn't studied science since I was ten. I knew that I would be Flooing Hermione tonight, asking for help.

Throughout the hour I kept sparing glances at the beautiful vampire beside me. I wanted to talk to Malfoy, but everytime I looked up, he was staring at me. The heat seemed to have died from his glare, now more of a contemplative, curious sort of look rather than one of wanton desire and denial.

Brilliant. I looked at the board, displaying a slide of the second phase of meiosis. What the hell was meiosis? I scribbled angrily in the margin.

_What?_

Ah. I really hope Edward didn't see that. I checked, and he was busily writing in his notebook, and had been for some time judging by the run-on sentences.

_Can't talk. Don't reply._

I scribbled over the top of my reply just as Edward looked up. The bell rang and pandemonium broke out as students rushed towards he door.

"Is this confusing you?" asked Edward, slightly amused.

My turn to glare. "No." I snapped. At his look I relented. "A little. A lot. I haven't done science since I was ten, and I can't remember it all, so I really have no idea what any of this means."

Edward chuckled a little. "I suppose six years ago is a long time." He looked as though he was having an inside joke. Like I didn't get it; vampire boy had been around for much longer than six years, silly little human.

"Feels like sixteen years ago!" I said earnestly. And it was true. I stopped learning Science when I was ten, in 1991. Fourteen years ago, but a bit of exaggeration never hurt anyone.

Edward hummed. "Well, I offered to tutor you. I could come around to your place tomorrow night? I can't do tonight, Esme is redecorating and I would not dare put you in the line of fire." He smiled and I couldn't help but return it.

"I'll check with Draco, but that sounds good." I looked at my watch. Somewhere in the conversation I had packed my books away and was walking down the hallway.

"Oh! I have gym now! I'm going to be late!" I ran off down the hallway, only to stop seconds later. I turned back around to Edward, who was stood where I had left him, smirking.

"Erm, do you know where the gym is?" I asked, sheepishly.

Edward raised his hand and pointed to the door that we had stopped at.

"Oh," I said. If I could blush, I would be. "Er, thanks."

Eric Yorkie was, without a doubt, the single most irritating person to have ever introduced themselves to me.

He was vain, arrogant, bigoted and incredibly thick.

He hated Draco and I because of the rumours circulating town that we were gay.

Never mind that I had told Mike and Jessica that the reason we moved here was because my girlfriend had been killed.

He called me a fag one too many times in gym, and I lost my temper with him a bit.

In the changing rooms he refused to get undressed because Malfoy and I would be perving on him. He arrogantly assumed that I would want to look at him getting dressed. Malfoy seemed disgusted, and I felt exactly the same way.

Then he noticed that we were both holding back while playing volleyball. We couldn't very well play to full strength without attracting attention to ourselves. He had a go at us for letting the side down so the coach switched Yorkie's side, and he played against us.

While playing, a shot came between me and another guy, and we both dived for it, ending up in a tangle on the floor. Yorkie muttered a stupid comment about my helping the other guy up as groping. Technically, I shouldn't have heard him say it, as it was due to inhuman senses that I was able to, but they guy really needed to watch his mouth.

Whenever I'd miss a shot, he'd call me a fag. Whenever I hit a good shot I was a cocksucker. And whenever I so much as looked at Malfoy I was his bitch.

Stupid kid did not shut up. And he was saying it too softly for anyone but me, Malfoy and Edward to hear it.

After one particularly colourful insult, I slammed the volleyball into his face. Not too hard, but hard enough to break his nose.

I made sure I was properly upset about it, apologising repeatedly.

I knew that I wasn't helping, and I had probably just irritated him more, but a vindictive part of me swelled when the ball crushed his nose. It served him right. And nobody could question the strength of my shot because it was still within normal human strength. It just happened to go exactly where I wanted it to.

After class I heard some of the younger students gossiping about it. Apparently many people disliked Eric Yorkie. I felt a bit guilty; I was doing what my father did to Snape, and vowed not to lose my temper again.

I was incredibly strong, stronger than I knew sometimes, and I really didn't want to see anyone hurt.

A problem awaited us when we returned home after our first day.

I brought in the post, idly flicking through the letters. Phone connection, electric connection, gas connection, car hire bill.

I opened the bill first.

"Malfoy!" I shouted. He was downstairs in a flash.

"What? Could you be any louder?" he said, rubbing his ears.

"We need to get a car." I said, bluntly.

He looked confused. "But I thought we had one?"

"No, that's a hire car, and it's costing us a fortune. We need to buy our own car."

"Oh. Well, lets go then."

He headed towards the coat rack.

"Malfoy, buying a car isn't like buying a shirt." I said, condescendingly.

"No?"

"No. First, we need to drive all the way to Seattle to find a decent car garage, then we have to drive all the way back and the garages shut at five. And I doubt they have the car that we want in the showroom. Things like this take time." I explained.

Draco considered. "There are a couple of things wrong with what you just said. First, we don't need to drive in tonight. We are wizards Potter, it's called apparating. Secondly, I plan on buying any car in the showroom, and if it's the wrong one, we'll order the one that we want. It's not like we don't have the money. And we can always sell it later. Then, we just have to drive it back tonight and we'll be back in plenty of time for school tomorrow."

I conceded. Malfoy had a point. We apparated into the city, and shocked several car salesmen when we said we wanted to buy a car.

A couple of garages thought we were joking.

We ended up buying an Audi coupe. It was all Malfoy's idea to get a TT. I was looking at a more modest car. A Mini Cooper, in red. Probably seemed fantastic because you could really only fit one person in it. Malfoy wasn't bothered, and neither was the salesman.

I'm just glad he didn't see an R8.

Lucky for him they had a black TT just waiting to be driven home. And it was a convertible. Totally pointless in Forks, but flashy and very Malfoy. He drove the Audi while I drove the Mini. It took us a while; Malfoy kept veering to the left hand side, but we got home in one piece.

And in time for me to Floo Hermione before she went to work.

"Hermione, dearest, I need your help." I said, sweetly. She rolled her eyes, seeing right through me.

"What's wrong Harry?" she asked, fixing her hair while making a cup of tea.

"I need to learn biology, and fast! I don't know anything and I feel like such an idiot." I whined. She smiled.

"I have some books from beginner to advanced. They're in the library, I'll just go and get them." She walked off, hair half up and kettle boiling. I smiled at her enthusiasm. Anything to do with books, or learning new things and Hermione was in.

She was back, carrying four large books. "Now start with the green book, it's the simplest. Once you have the basics, then you can try Volume II. Okay? I'd better go, or else I'll be late. I'll be around this weekend hopefully."

I took the books and looked at the clock on the kitchen wall. "Hermione, you have an hour before you need to be at work."

She shrugged. "I have a doctors appointment. Nothing serious," she said quickly, looking at my startled face, "just a general check up." I must have still looked sceptical. She huffed. "First Ron, now you, do I have to explain myself to everyone? I am going to have a girly check up. All sexually active women have one. Alright?" she said, exasperated.

I blushed, and stuttered out a hasty goodbye. "Er… yeah, wouldn't, erm, wouldn't want you to miss that… um, yeah, I'll be off then shall I? See you this weekend! Bye Hermione!"

I rushed through the Floo, books clutched tightly to my chest.

I arrived back in the United States at midnight. Malfoy was out hunting. I sat in my room, reading nonsense about cell biology, genetics, anatomy, physiology, evolution, species classification and other interesting and useful stuff.

I flipped to the section about cell reproduction, surprising learning from the book. I was even able to do the homework assigned, with a lot of help from the thick reference.

At least I wouldn't look like an idiot tomorrow when Edward came to tutor me.

**The Year: 7072**

When I said I thought about Ginny every day, I wasn't being strictly truthful. I think about everyone I have ever let down, but I think, because she was my first proper girlfriend, it made the pain worse. You never forget your first kiss, and likewise, you can never forget if you watch that person murdered.

Other faces, other memories blend with time but the memory of that night, sacrificing some part of me for her life, only to see it taken away, that memory stands out stark in my mind thousands of years later.

I am alone. It is better that way. Even 'immortal' creatures wither and die eventually. Like I should have.

I have let myself become too attached, too far in, and to have it stripped from me again, just like with Ginny, just like with _him_, and I am too selfish to do that to myself.

The Horcrux was supposed to go when the Killing Curse hit me in the Final Battle. With it gone, I should have undergone the full transformation from human to vampire. But it didn't die, and I can still feel it in there. My heart would still beat and my veins were faintly visible.

I was not worried. We had destroyed all of the other pieces of Voldemort's soul, and his body, and so the only way he could return would be from me. Something that wasn't going to happen.

I cannot die. The presence of a Horcrux and the effects that it has on a living body is not a widely researched topic. The research on a person who was bitten by a vampire whilst having a segment of another's soul inside them is nil.

I have tried to kill myself countless times. Jumping in front of cars does nothing but bruise me. Jumping off buildings can break bones. Attempting to drown doesn't work because I don't need air. I do not bleed when I cut myself. A blade will only sink so far into my body. I once walked into a burning building and the searing flames did nothing but tickle my skin.

A Horcrux can only be destroyed by Fiendfire or Basilisk venom. To kill a vampire, one must tear the creature apart and burn it.

A blade coated with Basilisk venom would only cause a burning flesh wound. My own venom counteracts the basilisks, leaving me feeling weak and drained for several days.

The only way I could be killed is with Fiendfire. I could not do it myself, because it would need to be controlled. I could not leave it burning, knowing the damage that could ensue. But no body would conjure it for me, simply because of the stamina and raw power required to control it. If unleashed, chaos would occur in the wake of its unpredictable and devastating path.

Humans grow old; they wither and they die. Vampires are often killed by rivals. Humanity changes, the world rotates and life begins anew.

But not for me. Never for me.


	3. Part III

**See the Light**

**thehedgehoglives**

**Chapter 3**

**Revised 28/08/2009**

Eric Yorkie wasn't at school the following day. I really did feel guilty; perhaps I shouldn't have broken his nose. The insults, however derogatory, shouldn't have made me that angry as they didn't apply to me. But the needlessness of them and the fact that people could be so narrow minded as to believe gossip has always irritated me.

I spent the entire night wallowing over the incident. It didn't help my conscious much that he looked rather similar to a young Snape, and I a young James Potter. I also wondered why I was so hung up about it. I was, mentally at least, twenty-five, and should not be embittering myself in petty teenage rivalry.

Classes were uneventful, and at lunch I sat with Mike and his friends. Draco had left school early as his self control was slipping. Jessica seemed intent on making me her new best friend and the attention was flattering and left me in an embarrassed, mumbling heap. This earned giggles from Jessica, and jealous glares from Lauren. I couldn't please everyone.

I couldn't help but stare when the Cullens walked in, taking the same table as the day before. Jessica noticed my staring and apparently couldn't pass up an opportunity to gossip.

"I see you've met the Cullens." She said with a giggle when Edward smiled slightly and nodded at me.

"Yeah, I'm next to Edward in biology. He seems alright. I haven't met the others though." I said, truthfully. They did _seem _alright, but whether they were or not was a different question.

"Really? He like, spoke to you and everything?" Jessica seemed truly shocked.

"Nah," said Mike from the other end of the table "Cullen just glared at him for half the lesson. Seriously Harry, did you stab him with your pencil or something?"

I frowned. Edward had been a bit… standoffish, but at the end of the lesson he offered to tutor me, and he seemed alright before gym.

"No I did not stab him, and yes, after class he did speak to me. Why? Is it such a rare occurrence when the Cullens speak to you?" I asked, joking.

Jessica answered me seriously. "Well, yeah. They're always so closed off, and they never talk to people. They're all together as well. Well, not Edward, but none of the girls here are good enough for him." she sounded a bit put out.

"Maybe he's just not that into girls." I said, offhandedly. I snuck a glance at the Cullen's table, knowing full well that they could hear me. Emmett and Rosalie were smirking, Alice was hiding a giggle and Jasper was, as usual, in deep concentration. Edward looked shocked, embarrassed and utterly mortified. I'm sure that if he could have been blushing, he would be doing.

The table I was sitting at went silent.

"What?" I asked, slightly disconcerted.

"Well," said Eric "it's just that you're kind of implying that Edward Cullen is, you know, _gay_" he said the word as if it was poisonous "and after some of the stuff going around about you-"

"What, that Malfoy and I escaped the prejudiced Britain to come to the _obviously_ open-minded States because he likes shoving his cock up my arse?" I snapped. I heard one of the Cullens snort.

"No Harry!" said Mike. "Eric's just saying that you should be careful what you say in case someone takes it the wrong way." He was obviously trying to diffuse the situation, and I knew if faced with a choice, he would side with his friend Eric over me.

"You're right. I wouldn't take it from Malfoy anyway." I said.

Jessica seemed to know what Mike was doing. "Anyway, does it matter? I was telling Harry about the whole family. Anyway, there's Alice; she's the tiny one. And the blonde guy next to her, the one who looks like he's in pain? Yeah, that's Jasper. They're together but they're not actually related. Alice is Dr Cullen's ward, and Jasper is Mrs Cullens nephew or something. And Emmett, that's the muscly one, he's with Roaslie, the blonde one. Rosalie is Jasper's twin, and Emmett is another one of Dr Cullens kids."

I nearly burst out laughing at what she thought was a smooth subject change. Her eyes were wide, and boring into mine earnestly.

"That's very nice of them to take in that many children." I said, thinking about the Dursley's _reluctance _to look after me.

Apparently this was the wrong thing to say. Jessica scrunched up her nose. "Yeah, I suppose. Dr and Mrs Cullen are really young, and I don't think they can have children of their own."

"They're very lucky to have a family like that." I said. The rest of the table was engaged in conversation of their own.

She nodded reluctantly. "I suppose so."

I shook my head. "No, I mean it. My parents died when I was one. The only memory I have of them is of their death. I was sent to live with my aunt and uncle, and I was more of a burden to them than anything else. They really didn't want another kid to look after, and my cousin really didn't want a brother. Trust me, the Cullens are lucky, and their parents are obviously very kind people." I said convincingly.

Jessica looked a bit put out. "I'm sorry Harry. I didn't mean to make it sound bad, and I'm sorry about your parents. It must be tough."

I sighed. "It should be, you know, because they're my parents. But I can't remember them. How can you miss something you can't remember. I feel guilty because I miss my godfather more than I miss them." I had no idea why I was confessing this to a girl I met yesterday, especially one that I knew was a gossip. She just seemed to put me at ease.

"Is your godfather," she looked hesitant "Is he… dead… as well?"

I swallowed thickly. "Yeah."

"I'm sorry. Were you close?" She reached out and put her hand on my arm.

"Yeah. We were." Why was I telling her this?

"You know, I couldn't imagine living without my mum." She confided "When I was eight my nan died and I thought the world was ending. You must be a very strong person." She smiled awkwardly.

"It's not strength. It's survival. " I whispered.

"C'mon Harry. I'll walk with you to biology." She said, standing up. The dining hall was starting to empty, and so I walked with her.

It was to be the start of a good friendship.

In biology we were given a group assignment. In the pairs that we were seated in, we were to design an interactive presentation that taught and informed beginners and biology savvy people about cell reproduction. This meant spending extra time with Vampire-Boy.

"So Harry, what do you think?" he said, turning to face me but still leaning away.

I didn't hear him, staring in deep melancholy at my task sheet.

"Harry?" he tapped his pencil on the paper infront of me.

"Huh?" I jumped. It is usually hard to scare me, or sneak up on me. Apparently, biology completely disabled anything in my mind other than the thought of immediate and painful suffering.

"What do you think about the assignment?" he asked again.

I looked at him blankly. "I think you should give me clear and concise instructions, and I should follow them, and we should pass?" I said weakly.

He chuckled and shook his head. "Now now Harry. How do you suppose you will ever learn anything if I did all the work?"

"Not all of it!" I protested. "I could glue stuff to cardboard!"

"No, that will never do!" he was teasing me. The cold, anti-social vampire was teasing me. And I had a fair idea why.

"Are you doing this because of what I said today at lunch?" I asked.

He had the same expression on his face as he did after I implied that he was gay. Shock, embarrassment and mortification. Then he smirked. "Possibly."

"Well maybe you could string me up by the ankles? Or lock me in a locker? Anything but biology?" I mock pleaded, eyes widening in a way that usually got me whatever I want.

He pretended to think about it. "Hmmm. No. I think a biology project is just what you need Harry. I will be around to your house this afternoon, if that is okay with you?"

He said the last part timidly compared to the forcefulness of earlier. I sighed in defeat. "Alright. Draco won't be home, he said something about going out for dinner."

Edward's eyes narrowed, and then his expression softened.

"Should I follow you home?" he asked.

"That sounds like a plan." I smiled, and we resumed planning our interactive seminar.

I would never admit it, for fear of sounding corny, but biology had never been so much fun. It could have something to do with the fact that we weren't actually doing biology at all. Edward's sister, Alice had apparently insisted on tagging along, and while normally it would have bothered me, Alice was too likeable, and too much like Tonks for me to dislike anything about her.

We were arguing over the best fast-food restaurant. Well, Alice and I were. Edward had his head in his hands, elbows propped on the dining table where our books were spread out. I had no idea how the topic came up, and it was an entirely pointless argument as none of us could enjoyably eat it. However, to keep up the 'Harry is a human' facade, I was arguing for KFC.

"Alice, you can't deny the saltiness of the chips, or the tenderness of the chicken. In Britain KFC comes with beans. Chicken, chips and baked beans; the best meal for less than five quid." I argued. I had only had KFC once, in the summer before my fifth year when the Dursleys had given me free range of the neighbourhood.

"The fries are better at KFC, I'll grant you that, but the chicken? And baked beans? You Brits are a funny lot. No, I say the burgers are better at Burger King." Alice said forcefully from across the table.

Edward snorted. "Alice," he said exasperatedly "Do you realise you sound ridiculous?"

Alice looked affronted, and I had to ask.

"Why?"

"Because we are... vegetarians." He answered smirking a bit.

I lost it to a fit of laughter. The whole argument was pointless. I doubted either of them had ever eaten from a fast food restaurant and none of us could now. We were keeping up appearances to each other, trying to decide if the other was a threat. Both Alice and Edward were looking at me oddly.

"Is there something wrong with being a vegetarian?" asked Alice.

"No," I took a calming breath. "Nothing. It's nothing. Now Edward, can we go over this cell reproduction stuff again? I think I've got it. Mitosis, for growth, in which the nucleus of a cell splits..." I started drawing the cell diagram on scrap paper, Edward looking at me with something akin to pride every time I completed a step correctly.

Alice froze up suddenly when I was halfway through relaying the process of meiosis. She had been inspecting the house, commenting every now and then on things we should put where.

"I'm sorry, Harry, Edward. I just remembered that I'm supposed to go out with Jasper for dinner tonight! He's probably starving!" she grabbed her coat and the keys to Edwards Volvo. "I'll send Emmett or Rose out for you when you're done okay? "She asked, addressing Edward.

"I can take him." I said. "I have my Mini, or Draco's stupid car. No point disrupting your siblings when it's my fault you're here. I need tutoring; the least I can do is take you home."

Edward looked wary, but agreed. He had sat opposite me for the whole evening, with Alice acting as a buffer between him and me. Apparently I still smelt good enough to eat.

"I'll walk you out to the car Alice. I want to make sure you don't kill it." He smiled wryly.

They walked out, whispering so softly I had to strain to hear it.

"So he's human then."

"I believe so. The blonde one, Malfoy is definitely not, and I don't believe his excuse for not being in tonight. Who goes for a walk in the forest at his time of night? He's out hunting, but Harry seemed to buy it easily. A human free from manipulation would have seen straight through him."

"You think Malfoy is controlling him?"

"I do. And I don't know why. Harry could be his sick idea of prey, or Malfoy may just want him as a companion. But either way, if this guy loses control we are all in trouble."

Alice hummed. "Look, I appreciate that you want to protect him, but you don't know for certain if Harry is oblivious. You can only catch vague glimpses of thoughts in his mind, and what have you got from Malfoy?"

Edward could read minds. I remembered what Snape had told me in those horrible Occlumency lessons. 'The mind is not a book and cannot be read at leisure.' Maybe Edward had an innate Legilimecy ability. I stood up and grabbed a Blood Pop from the kitchen.

Edward sighed. "Nothing. He is definitely there, but it is almost as if he has a shield protecting his mind, a solid barrier. It bugs me. But I am adamant that Malfoy is up to no good. I have a reason to be here of an afternoon, and I see Harry at school so I will be able to keep an eye on him. Alice, I am not going to let this new vampire threaten our life here. Imagine the implications if someone got hurt because he could not control himself. We would have to move again, think about Carlisle and Esme. And then there's the treaty."

"Edward stop! I understand, alright. But there is nothing ominous in Harry's future." I gasped. Alice must be a seer. Concealing thoughts was easier than concealing our future and I was a magnet for prophecies and omens. Particularly those of the life altering, death, doom and gloom kind.

"And Malfoy's?" asked Edward.

Alice sighed. "Like you, nothing. He's a blank. You'd better get inside. Harry is waiting for you."

"Alright. Be careful with it." Said Edward, and I assumed he was talking about the car. I heard the engine burst into life. Edward was back upstairs before Alice had pulled out of the driveway.

"I think we've done enough studying-" he broke off and sniffed.

I looked at him oddly.

"It's nothing. Are you okay?" he asked, concerned. He wasn't breathing again and his eyes were dark. I realised I had a mouthful of Blood Pop. I quickly swallowed it and he seemed to mellow.

I really pitied Edward if he lusted after an artificial blood lolly.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Are you?"

He nodded. "As I was saying, I think we have done enough studying. I want to know more about you."

"Why? I mean, I don't normally listen to gossip, but apparently you're not keen to make friends in town." I said.

"Jessica Stanley?" he asked, sighing a bit.

I immediately went on the defensive. She had been nice to me at lunch today.

"Yes. Why? What's your problem with her?" I snapped.

He looked slightly abashed. "Nothing, nothing. Sorry." He said.

"Yeah, me too. I shouldn't have snapped at you. We can talk in the living room?" At his nod of acquiescence I led the way. The fire magically lit itself before I entered the room. Edward shuddered at seeing the flames.

I sat in one of the plush armchairs, and Edward sat in one opposite, further away from the fire than mine.

"Does it bother you?" I asked, gesturing to the fire.

He shook his head. "I had a bad experience with fire. I do not like it very much. Are you afraid of what it can do? Fire is unpredictable, untameable and destructive. In minutes this whole house could go up in flames, destroying it and everyone inside. Doesn't that scare you? That your life could end from something so simple as a fireplace?"

"Is this what you mean about getting to know me?" I asked, wryly.

He nodded. "I wanted to be able to tell fact from fiction when I hear the rumours about you." He said. I wasn't stupid; I knew that he wanted to test how naïve I was. If he thought Draco had me under some kind of compulsion control, he was both wrong and stupid.

"Well, I suppose you have heard by now that I am an orphan." He nodded. "And that I was taken in by my aunt and uncle?" he nodded again. "Well, I didn't have the best childhood. I lived in a cupboard and hadn't had a Christmas or birthday present until I was eleven. When I first found out that I didn't have parents, I didn't really understand it. Dudley had Petunia and Vernon, and the kids at school had mummies and daddies and so why didn't I? When I found out they were dead, I wanted so much to be dead too. I tried so many times to join them. It never worked and so I eventually gave up, realising that I will die when it is my time to die."

Edward was processing all that I had told him.

"So you are not afraid of death?" he asked.

I scoffed. "I would be a fool if I was not afraid of death. It is unavoidable. There is no such thing as cheating death." I said.

He seemed startled at my conviction. "And those who cheat death, those who think they live forever. What of them?" he asked, smirking a little.

I replied in kind. "They only _think_ they have cheated death. The truth is that it was never time for them to go. To think that you have bested the Grim Reaper is to be at the height of arrogance. These people may prolong the inevitable, but there is more than one way to skin a cat."

Edward's smirk got a bit wider. "But what if there were people who could live forever? People who would never die? Are they not denying death?"

I shrugged slightly. "Possibly. But that denial is only short-lived. Everything withers and dies eventually. People, animals, society, planets, suns and stars; they all grow weary and give up. It just takes time. The way I see it, death is coming, and I am not going to waste my time running from it."

Edward tilted his head, examining me. "You seem convinced." He said.

I smiled a bit. "As sure as my heart beats." I wryly said.

"And I am sure of that." He murmured.

"Harry! Harry!" Draco's panicked cry made me leap from my seat. Edward and I had been upstairs for hours, talking about ourselves and our families; in my case the Weasleys as my adopted family.

"I'll go and see what he wants. He's probably got a scratch on his car." I smiled, and walked out of the living room calmly. Once I shut the door, I bolted down the stairs.

Malfoy was at the bottom, shirt stained with blood, the red liquid beginning to harden in trails down his chin. He was making me thirsty just looking at him.

"You won't believe what I found!" he said excitedly. I shushed him, quickly explaining my guest upstairs.

"Oh. Well, I found this herd of elk, tasty as, fucking fantastic. You should go. They weren't far from here." he said, pulling me to the front door.

I shook him roughly. "Malfoy, get a grip. Calm down. Look. You are full. Do you feel thirsty? Truly thirsty?"

He shook his head.

"Well then, you need to control yourself. Go upstairs, do not walk past the living room, get a cold shower and put some fresh clothes on. Now! You're making me thirsty." I instructed firmly.

"Wait, before you go," I grabbed his forearm, holding him in place. "_Evanesco_." The blood vanished from his face and shirt. "Now go."

When Malfoy got out of control, he was scary and more than a match for me. When he was overcome with bloodlust, he was just a bit hyperactive. I could deal with that.

I started back up the stairs to be met with an irate looking Edward coming down them.

"I had better go Harry. Esme is probably wondering where I am." He said shortly.

"Oh," I said, hoping to God that he hadn't smelt the blood on Malfoy. "I'll just get a coat and I'll meet you outside?"

"I'll walk." He said, again, shortly.

I frowned. Vampire-Boy or not I was driving him home.

"No you won't." I said. "I told Alice I would drive you home. Wait at the car and I'll be out in a minute."

I grabbed the first coat I saw, the keys to the Mini and went outside. Edward was nowhere to be seen.

I turned back towards the house.

"Stupid Vampire-Boy." I muttered.

Edward came around every second afternoon to work on the Biology project. Malfoy always made himself scarce; Edward usually frightened him off if he hung around.

Malfoy really was a coward.

I confronted him about it once.

"I am not being cowardly, I merely understand that Cullen poses a distinct threat to my wellbeing and have decided that I like my well being being well. Now, I can see how this would confuse _you _ Potter, being stupidly Gryffindor and all, but self-preservation is not a cowardly action. It is actually quite clever, and I would recommend that you try it one day." He drawled, before stalking off and leaving me rolling my eyes at him.

We presented the project a month after we were given it, and, with Hermione's books and Edward's biological prowess, we passed with an A.

Nothing too exciting happened during our first month in Forks; school was school, and I became fast friends with Jessica, Mike, Alice and Edward, although never the four together.

Malfoy was still being a prick, but not so much to Jessica. I think he fancied her.

In fact, when she asked him to the prom, he was positively glowing.

"Guess who got asked to the dance?" he said smugly when we arrived home from school.

"Who?" I sighed.

"Me." He said. "With Jessica. Not many girls do that, ask a guy to be their partner, but there you go. I'll need a suit Potter. A proper suit. Not this half suit crap you insist on wearing to formal occasions."

He managed to complement and insult in one go.

"You can go get one, you don't need me." I said, mind on the mountain of homework I had to do tonight. Thank the deities watching me that I didn't have to sleep. I really pitied the poor humans who had this to do on top of sleeping.

"No, you're absolutely right. You would be a terrible companion. You have no sense of style." He smirked at me. "Potter, I am going out. Be good, and ask the Weasel to fetch more Blood Pops. We're running low."

"Yes Mr Malfoy Sir." I snapped after him, giving him a mock salute.

He grinned viciously at me. "Finally, after all this time, you decide to give me the respect the Malfoy name demands."

I growled and Malfoy made a hasty, yet somehow 'Not-cowardly' retreat.

Ron stopped by with a bulk packet of Blood Pops when I was half way through my Trig assignment.

"What's that you're doing?" he asked peering over my shoulder.

"Trig." I replied shortly, not wanting to go into why I was scribbling numbers and equations around triangles to find something I could find with a ruler and a protractor. And the back of the book where the answers were kept.

Ron stared at me gormlessly. "Trigonometry." Still the gormless look. "It's just mathematics, but a specified branch of mathematics." I could see a bit of drool forming at the corner of his mouth. "Er, mate, you look like an inferius when you stand there like that."

Ron snapped when I mentioned killer zombies. "Inferi? Where? Oh, right, you were telling me about maths. It's lovely and all, but er- why are you scribbling on a triangle?"

I rolled my eyes good-naturedly. 'Ron, if you ever come across a vampire, I wouldn't worry."

He looked confused at the subject change. "Erm... okay. Why not?"

"Because the idea of Ronald Weasley being around for all eternity is more than a little scary."

Ron scowled. "You've been around Malfoy for too long mate." He turned and looked at the clock. "I should probably go. Hermiones been wild this week." I frowned. "Hormones." He elaborated. "It's hell. I wouldn't mind being you right now mate. At least you'll never have to deal with insane pregnant women wanting you to everything and nothing at the same bloody time!"

I smiled, imagining Hermione bossing Ron about, at the same time cursing him for taking away all her independence. "It'll be worth it, when you've got another red-headed little know-it-all." I said softly.

Ron shrugged. "For the first year or two, and then they hit the terrible twos, then they get to the big girl stage, and then she'll be a teenager and surrounded by hordes of boys who want to-"

"-Flop about the Gryffindor common room like eels?" I inserted.

Ron scowled again. "I was young, and foolish!"

I grinned. "Definitely."

"Oi! At least I wasn't the one who made a girl cry when I kissed her." Ron shot back.

I raised my eyebrows. "Ooh! Getting bitchy here... and besides," I felt the need to defend myself, 'she was crying before I kissed her. But you wouldn't understand would you, Mr Emotional-Range-of-a-Teaspoon."

"Gah! Don't remind me... actually, It's probably a good thing. I really should go and deal with my wife, who has the emotional range of the Grand bloody Canyon." He sighed and, after we agreed to catch up for a drink on the weekend, left.

The following morning I decided to set off for school early to get to the library before school started. I needed to check something for Social Science.

I reversed the Mini out of the drive, taking note of the ice on the road. I should have probably changed the tyres, but I really wanted to cross check the dates.

I approached the main street intersection, intending to turn left. The ice on the road prevented it, and I felt the wheels spin underneath me. The car started spinning, and I lost control. The engine cut off, and everything was quiet, except for the squealing tyres.

The world spun past me, and I froze. I knew I couldn't die but I could still be hurt.

I closed my eyes, bracing for impact with something. When no impact came, I opened my eyes.

The world had frozen. Time had literally stopped. I moved my arms. I tried to get out of the car but the door wouldn't open. Nothing was moving except me. I remembered what to do in the case of an accident like this. I should steer into the curve. When my hands touched the steering wheel I resumed spinning. It was as if I had temporarily frozen time.

I turned the steering wheel into the turn, and eased on the brakes. The car skidded to a halt in the middle of the intersection. I sat there, my hands gripping the steering wheel like vices, staring blankly ahead. I could hear my own pounding heartbeat and heavy breathing. That was close.

I wondered about my moment in the car. Could I have some vague form of time manipulation? I snorted. I sounded like something out of Doctor Who. Wibbly Wobbly.

I let out a breath I hadn't realised I'd been holding.

"That was close." I muttered. The car gave a rev of the engine in what could only be acquiescence. After sitting in the intersection for a few minutes I shrugged, putting it down to be uncanny ability to avoid deadly circumstances. I started the car again and pulled off the road to check Freddy for damage. I wasn't sure when my old Mini became Freddy, but after I had tweaked the engine the car seemed slightly... sentient.

And more than a little annoyed at the near miss. Luckily, there was nobody on the intersection to see me trying to get Freddy to pull off the intersection without stalling.

When I got out of the car to check for damage I noticed two rusted and dilapidated motorbikes sitting in the front garden of the house I had parked outside. A cardboard sign advertised them as being ten dollars each. I figured I might as well give Freddy chance to cool off.

Thinking of Sirius, I walked up to the front door and knocked, intending to buy them.

A boy around my age answered. He was tall, lanky and fair haired. "Hi, I'm Jackson. You lookin' at the bikes?"

"Harry Potter and yes I was. I'll give you fifty for them if you can drop them round Spencer Street?"

He considered it. "Hang on a tick Harry. I'll have to check with dad first, coz I'm not s'posed to drive the truck."

He turned and walked back inside. I stood on the doorstep, waiting for him to come back.

He did, a few minutes later. "He said he'll drop 'em off this afternoon, about two o'clock. Is that okay?" he asked.

I smiled and handed him the money. "That sounds great Jackson."

"Er, you do realise they don't actually go, them bikes." He said, and I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm pretty good with stuff like that. I'll see if I can get them going, and if not, well, at least it gave me something to do. Thanks Jackson." I smiled, and walked back down the garden path.

"See ya Harry!" he called before he shut the door.

I had one last look at the bikes and turned back to Freddy.

"A little bit of co-operation please Freddy?"

I rushed down the corridor to English. The near accident and then buying the bikes had made me late. Not to mention Freddy refused to let me turn in the direction I wanted. We kept making a bee-line for home before I offered him a new interior. I made it to school much quicker than I would have done after that. I slowed as I reached the English rooms, hearing a small scuffle in the corridor to my left.

"I know what you are Malfoy." Hissed a voice I recognised as Edwards.

"I know what you are Cullen." Parroted Malfoy. There was a noise, as if someone had been shoved up against a locker, hard.

"I know what you are, and I don't think Harry knows does he?" said Edward lowly. I was getting the chills just listening to it. I snuck a glance around the corner, seeing Malfoy shoved up against the locker by Edward. Everything about the two screamed fight, and I knew I had to let them blow off some steam, preferably not at school.

"What does it matter if Potter knows or not? He's a big boy. Trust me, Harry can look after himself." Said Malfoy.

"Trust you? What, like Harry trusts you? You treat him like shit but he still comes running back. Is he your sick idea of dinner? Do you keep him around in case you get a bit peckish?" Edwards voice was low and demanding.

"Maybe." Hissed Malfoy. I groaned and cursed his smart mouth. He was seriously pissed. I needed to do something. We needed to move. "Maybe I like manipulating Harry, making him do whatever I want, day in and day out. Or maybe there is more to this than _you_ can see. Ever thought about that when you went poking around in my mind?"

"More to this than I can see? Malfoy I read your mind like an open book. You crave Harry. Every body craves Harry. He's dark, he's tempting, and he's like sin. To taste would be divine, but there would be no stopping."

I heard Malfoy mutter "That's what you think."

"You keep him around because of his darkness, his tantalizing blood. Don't deny it. I like Harry too much to let you manipulate him." Edward slammed Malfoy against the locker again. Much more and there would be a Malfoy shaped dent in the lockers.

"Is that what this is about? You like him and you don't want to see him hurt? Or are you jealous? Because Edward Cullen, I believe you are. Do you believe the rumours-" there was another slam, this time a duller one. I checked the corner and saw that Malfoy now had Edward pinned against the lockers on the opposite side of the hallway. "That Potter fucks me every night. Or, do you believe the ones where it's me fucking Potter?"

Edward gave a gutteral snarl and started laying into Malfoy.

I ran around the corner, trying to break them up.

"Draco! Edward! Stop it!" I shouted. Neither paid any attention.

I grabbed Malfoy by the shoulders and heaved him up. I threw him across the hallway.

Edward was still lying on the ground, looking up at me.

"What the hell is your problem? The two of you. Malfoy, you disgust me. Talking about me like I'm your fucking whore! I'm not. And you!" I rounded on Edward. "I'm not some precious doll. Stop fawning over me! I can look after myself. I've seen more and lived through more than you can imagine, so you can get your 'knight in shining armour' picture out of your head. You want to fight? Go ahead. Punch some testosterone out. Just don't fucking do it over me! Or at least, let me kick the shit out of you two. That's the only way I'll be involved."

I knew I had attracted attention and I stormed into English, ignoring Malfoy's attempts to talk to me through the books. I studiously ignored everyone other than Mike and Jessica, who didn't seem to mind pretending that I wasn't being an arse.

I was in a foul mood all day. I went home at lunch, not wanting to be around either Edward or Malfoy.

Unfortunately Edward predicted my early escape, and when I went out to the car he was already there. And he was _leaning _and getting his dirty, dirty fingerprint all over Fred's nicely polished bonnet ! I clasped my hands together to refrain from hexing or cursing him.

"Are you done?" I snapped.

Edward tilted his head. "Not really. I want to apologise for earlier."

"You shouldn't apologise to me for that. It's not me you kept belting against a locker."

He blinked slowly. "No, I apologise for treating you like glass. I forget," he smiled a bit "you aren't nearly as breakable as you look."

"Edward," I said, voice rising. "I have been looking after myself since I was sixteen months old, do you really think I can't do it now?"

He just stared at me.

"Don't you have a class to be at?" I snapped.

"Don't you?"

Stupid, annoying Vampire-Boy. The only way he would leave me alone is if I told him. only what he already knew, of course, but part of looking after yourself was making people believe you have given them information, while not giving them anything the didn't already know.

"Get in Fred then." I snarled, slamming the driver's door shut.

Edward stood gaping at me. "Fred?"

I snapped at him again to get in. He did, and I drove off, pushing the old Mini as fast as it could go. _Maybe_ I had enhanced Fred a bit. I wasn't overly bothered; I had contacts in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts office.

"Harry, how fast are you going?" he asked.

I snorted. "Edward, it's a Mini. An original Mini. Nought to sixty in about three years, so I wouldn't worry about how fast I'm driving." At this Fred gave an indignant lurch forward. I shushed him. "If I were you, I'd concentrate on what I'm about to tell you."

He nodded, but still leant over to check the speedo.

"I know what Malfoy is. And therefore I know what you are, and what your brothers and your sisters are. I have a hunch, and it's highly likely that Dr and Mrs Cullen are vampires, just like their adoptive children."

Edward looked shocked. "What, you thought I wouldn't know? Draco doesn't eat, he never sleeps, he is incredibly pale, although that could be genetic, his skin is colder than ice, he's strong and fast and never dies."

"And you? Are you like us?" he asked.

I answered honestly. "No." I pulled off the road and onto our driveway.

When I stopped the car, I reached out to grab his hand in my gloved one. I put it over my heart. In the cramped Mini, we were incredibly close. So close that I could see that his skin really was perfect, and that his topaz eyes seemed endless, and I wondered why I was angry at him. Time seemed to still, and I wondered if I had done the time stop thing again. Edward was stiff, one hand under mine and hovering over my heart, the other mindlessly tapping the rhythm on his thigh.

"I know you heard that on the first day. You really scared me. I thought that you had lost control. But it's still there, and it will be for quite some time."

"You aren't afraid?" he asked.

"Afraid? Of what, you or Malfoy? Because I've been beating the crap out of Malfoy since I was eleven and you wouldn't dare try and hurt me. So no, I'm not afraid."

At that moment the front door slammed open and a red headed blur raced out to the car. A brunette followed more sedately, followed by a toddler shouting 'Unc' Harry! Unc' Harry!'

"Harry! You'll never guess! It's fantastic…" Ron babbled, and then took in Edward and my position. "Oh! Harry I'm sorry! I'll just…"

"Noo…" I groaned. "Not what it looks like."

Hermione smiled at Edward and I. "What Ronald," he scrunched up his nose at the name "means to say is that we have some exciting news that can wait until you and your friend are inside."

Rose reached them, climbing in the open drivers side door, onto Harry's lap.

"Unc' Harry! Mummy told me to watch tellie, but you don't got Playhouse or Dora dee-bee-dees."

"Rose," scolded Hermione. "Let Harry and his friend get inside first."

"I can go home if you would like Harry." Said Edward awkwardly.

"No! Don't leave on account of us!" exclaimed Hermione. "Come on Harry, inside. You need to introduce us to your friend." She smirked.

I groaned as I passed Rose over to her. "Not what it looked like."

Hermione's smirk got a little wider and she led Ron and Rose back inside. I turned to look at Edward.

"Sorry about that." I said. "And I'm sorry about flying off the handle earlier. Do you want to come in? I'll introduce you to Ron and Hermione. They're the ones I was telling you about. Ginny was Ron's sister."

Edward looked wary. "I don't want to be a bother. I can run home." He smiled. "I am very quick."

I let out a half-snort, half laugh. "You won't escape them you know."

He looked at me oddly. "What do you mean?"

"Ron and Hermione, Hermione especially. They think they stumbled upon my first romantic encounter since Ginny, and they sure as hell won't leave you alone if they think I'm interested in you."

Edward grinned coyly. "Are you interested in me?"

I smirked back at him. "No, remember? Malfoy is my bitch."

"You just keep those rumours burning when you bring them up." He said, as I got out of the car.

I shrugged and waited until he had crossed around the front and we started walking up the path.

We found Ron and Hermione in the living room, drinking tea. Rose was looking through my DVD collection.

"Ron, Hermione, this is Edward. Edward, meet Ron and Hermione." I said, awkwardly. The whole situation was awkward; Ron and Hermione thought Edward was my new thing.

"It is nice to meet you both." Said Edward politely. Ron raised an eyebrow at me, but lowered it at Hermione's nudge. This amused Edward. "Harry has told me all about you."

"An' me? Did he tell you 'bout me?" asked Rose, excitedly.

"Course I did Rosie!" I said, picking her up and throwing her in the air. Hermione hated it when I did it, but knew I would always catch her.

"Unc' Harry!" she squealed when I caught her inches off the floor. "Don' do that! You nearly scared me!" She sounded so much like Hermione that Ron and I burst out laughing.

"Rosie, this is Edward. Edward is Uncle Harry's friend from school." I saw Ron and Hermione exchange glances at that, but refrained from rolling my eyes.

"Hello Ed-wad." She said shyly. I smirked at his obvious discomfort at the butchering of his name.

"Hello Rose." He said softly. I put her down and she wandered over to him. He knelt down to her height. "And how old are you?" he asked. I was amazed at how trusting Rose was. Any other kid would have had their survival instincts kick in and would have run. I suppose she got it from Hermione. Maybe Rose would start a Society for the Protection of Vampire Welfare. It didn't have the same ring as SPEW though. Rose led him over to the DVD's, asking him to pick out his favourites. He looked at me, begging for reprieve but I knew from experience that Rose could be as bossy as her mother with her dads temper. She had already found the Dora the Explorer and Sooty ones I had brought for her while in England.

"So? What's the big news?" I asked.

Ron and Hermione traded loving glances, with huge smiles on their faces and everything clicked in place. Hermione going for a check-up a month ago, their unexpected visit to share the 'big news' and the loving glances gave it away.

Hermione squealed. Oh yeah, she was definitely pregnant.

"I'm pregnant!"

"Wow Hermione that's fantastic!" I said; grin almost as wide as Ron's.

Edward looked up from where he was sitting with Rose. He smiled genially. "That is great news." He said, before Rosie diverted his attention back to the shelf of DVDs.

We sat around and talked for a few hours, Edward joining us when he put Playhouse Disney on for Rose.

Malfoy came home when school had finished. "Harry!" he called out, interrupting Ron's detailed description of his recent attempt at a driving test.

I heard feet bounding up the stairs and the door opened. "Oh hello Ron, Hermione. Where's Rose?" he hadn't seen Edward yet, and I froze. I knew what it would look like.

Malfoy's eyes wandered the room searching for Rose, but instead found Edward.

"Get out." He said shortly. Edward stood up. Ron and Hermione stayed quiet, and I looked helplessly between them.

"I was just leaving. I apologise for earlier. And Harry told me all about you." Said Edward as he slipped out the door.

Malfoy glared at me. I shrunk into the seat a little. "Did he now?"

"Ron, get Rose. We had better be off. Its been a long day for her." said Hermione quietly.

Edward nodded to the couple. "It was nice meeting you, Ron, Hermione. Tell Rose I said goodbye."

Malfoy grabbed his arm. "You stay away from Rose." He snarled.

Edward shrugged him off. "I will see you tomorrow Harry."

I squeaked. "Yeah."

He left, Ron and Hermione Flooing out as soon as he had gone.

Draco rounded on me.

"What the hell is your problem Potter? You round on me like Lucifers son, but you can't stay pissed at _Edward._" He snarled out Edwards name as if it was filth. "And you bring him back here when Rose was here. Ron and Hermione can look after themselves, but what if he got out of control? You are supposed to protect Rose, not put her in more danger. And they don't know about him do they?"

I was cowed, but I didn't understand the problem with Edward. He didn't mind Alice. Malfoy seemed to hate Edward with a passion that I couldn't comprehend.

"I know, I ballsed up alright. But you are talking what ifs. I could have handled it. Stop treating me like a kid! I am just as strong as you are!" I shouted, standing up and mimicking Malfoy's aggressive stance.

"No you are not! You forget Harry! You aren't as strong as me, you aren't invincible! You are more human than you think! The Cullens crave you and I do too. The Horcrux in you sends vampires mad with lust and want. How many times have I tried to feed from you? Dozens. How many times have I tried to attack another human? Once, and that was when I first woke up. Harry, if you were as infected as you think, there would be no way any vampire other than your mate could be attracted to you." He was furious and so was I.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" I screamed. "You don't know!" I leapt for him, but he cut me off. He pinned me to the floor, my arms flailing at him. He caught my wrists in one of his hands and pinned them over my head.

"Look at yourself Harry. You can't even fight me off. How would you have gone against Edward Cullen on a blood hunt? You may not be able to die, but Rosie can. Hermione can and Ron can. You need to be careful." He said softly. I realised that there were tears in my eyes. I was lying on the floor, legs pinned by Malfoy's, arms above my head. He was leaning over me and he wasn't angry any more.

"I want to die so much. Why do I have to live? Every time." I whispered hoarsely. I turned my head away from him, cheek coming to rest on the wooden floor.

"Harry," whispered Malfoy, letting go of my hands. "You live because you are wanted. Ron and Hermione want you. Rosie wants you. I want you. You don't live because you need to or because it's your destiny. You live because you care too much. Could you honestly let your best friends fall into mourning unnecessarily? God, think of the crap _I _would have to put up with."

I frowned. Selfish git. But he was right.

"I tried you know. Burning buildings, I rescued people but was never burnt. Stray curses, sharp objects, dangerous missions; I did them all hoping that it would be my last."

"Potter, you have an uncanny ability to not die. And, if your attempts at killing yourself were as good as your attempts at , well, pretty much everything you try, it's no wonder you're still alive. Potter you idiot."

I smiled a bit, knowing he was right. About the idiot bit. And about me not really trying to kill myself. I never entered a situation seriously determined not to come out. It was more a hope that I wouldn't.

Not that it happened often, but in this case, Draco Malfoy was very right.


	4. Part IV Lucky Day

**See the Light**

**thehedgehoglives**

**6th February 2009**

* * *

**The Year 7072**

The screams and the wailing of the people outside have dimmed. I think it is nearly over. The shadows from the lantern in the corner dance on the walls of the cold, damp cellar I am in. I wonder why I chose to hide myself when I want nothing more than to be out there. Maybe it is because this cellar holds the ashes of my family. Maybe I want to end my existence on my own terms. I know that if I was truly suicidal (is it suicide when I am not taking a life?) I would be outside, screaming and wailing with the humans.

And I have once again survived.

Edward and I spoke of life after death, and the damnation of those without souls. He believed that our kind would be damned to eternal hell. We should live for eternity, so I always questioned if the life we lived was hell. He refused to see it my way, believing in his early Twentieth Century ideology. I believed that there was something after death, but those who experienced it never truly came back. The Resurrection Ring, one of the Deathly Hallows, was a dangerous object, bringing the dead back to a half life. They were never actually there, a veil blocking them from returning.

It sounded corny, but I believed that our souls passed on, into a light when we died. In our case, when our bodies were destroyed, we moved on. We would meet up with the people we had lost, living in a nirvana. Edward believed in eternal damnation, into the fiery pits of hell.

I hope, wherever he is, it is not there. He deserves so much better.

* * *

**The Year: 2005**

"Harry, we need to talk about your conversation with Edward." Said Malfoy once I had finished my pathetic sob session.

"I know, I shouldn't have said anything. And I'm sorry, it was yours to tell." I sighed. I had been entirely too trusting in Edward. Letting him near Rose, especially when I had doubts about his level of control, was a stupid thing to do. Telling him that I knew he was a vampire and that I happened to live with one was even stupider. And then covering my own arse, for no particular reason other than I wasn't sure if I wanted to be vampire or human; now that was just pathetic.

Malfoy sighed. "Potter, you have never been one to think things through. You are brash, bold and just blurt things out without thinking. You run headlong into situations that could get you killed, and your sense of morality is sickening. But what I want to know is why you did it. Any of it. I have told you, time and time again, that we should not trust Edward Cullen, or any of the Cullen's. They are a family of seven vampires. We are two. And even with our magic, I don't fancy our odds."

I huffed, knowing he was right. "Look, alright, alright. I know. I just can't stay away from him. You have never properly met him-"

"Because if I get within five metres of him, I can see him ripping me apart with his eyes." Interrupted Malfoy. "He finds me a threat to you; he is obsessed with you Potter. He is an incredibly strong, incredibly fast, and incredibly cunning vampire. You just don't understand what you are pulling yourself into. He desires you. How many times do I have to say it for it to get through your thick skull?"

I leapt up at that comment. "I fucking get it alright! Stay away from Edward Cullen. He desires me, he wants me, and he lusts for me. Every vampire does so I have to watch myself. I understand! Alright? But it's done, I've said it, and we're just going to have to deal with the fucking consequences!" I shouted, anger flaring.

"No you fucking-well do not! You keep going back, inviting him around, and introducing him to Ron, Hermione and Rose. What if he lost control around them. What if he lost control around you. Vampires are not invincible. And you can still be hurt to well past the mortal point of death."

"What are you, my self-preservationist?" I snorted.

Malfoy shrugged. "Somebody's got to do it. Or, think what will happen if Dumbledore gets wind of us being here. He's going interrogate the whole fucking town, and when its Edward Cullen's turn, he's going to find that the Golden Couple have been helping you. Do you have any idea of the damage it will do to them?"

I snarled, pushing Malfoy roughly. "Of course I do! But what do you propose we do about it?"

"Obliviate him, and anyone else he has told. Make him forget about you knowing anything. It is important that you stay a pretty little human. You have to distance yourself from him. We don't know their motives, whose side they're on, nothing. We Obliviate him."

"No." I said shortly.

"No?" repeated Malfoy incredulously. "In case you missed the whole argument, Edward Cullen has the potential to hurt you, your friends and me. You may have no self-preservation, but I thought you would at least care about your two best friends and their daughter."

"Of course I care about them. But I am not manipulating someone's memories so that I can get away Scot-free."

Malfoy growled out, making me unconsciously step back. "I have been telling you for nearly sixteen years Potter, the sun doesn't shine for you."

I turned away, jaw clenched.

"Fine." I hissed, anger still blazing. "I'll Obliviate him. But you have to do the rest. I am not turning into Dumbledore."

I stormed out of the house and into the forest. I was really, really, thirsty.

* * *

When I returned home, Malfoy was still fuming. I spent the rest of the night trying to fix up the motorbikes. I decided to strip them apart, and combine the working pieces. The bits that didn't work on either I could fix with magic.

I sat for hours using _Reparo_ on each individual piece of engine, until I realised I could just repair the whole thing. And enhance it quite a bit. I lightened a few parts, remodelled the brakes a bit, added a cylinder or two and increased the power of the engine substantially. I was in the garage for hours, spanners and jacks scattered amongst the pieces of motorbike.

Malfoy came in several hours later, huffing about me being too loud.

I grunted unfazed. "Pass me that sprocket." I said, arranging the chain drive with a spanner sticking out of the corner of my mouth.

Malfoy looked at me. "Potter what the hell is a sprocket?" he asked, nudging the radiator with the toe of his foot.

I snapped the last two pieces of chain together, casting a quick _Reparo_ for longevity. "Looks a bit like a gear."

"A gear?"

"The thing at your bloody foot. Looks like a wheel with teeth." I said shortly. My mind was focused on how the chain drive would fit to my enhanced engine.

"Oh this?" said Malfoy lightly, holding up the rusty sprocket. I rolled my eyes and he handed it to me.

"Well, I'm out. I'm thirsty, and I know you went earlier so I'll leave you to it." He said, backing towards the door.

I shrugged, trying to piece together my drive chain. "Yeah, sure. See you later." I said, waving a hand in his general direction.

I put my hybrid bike back together, muttering to myself about stupidity and Pure-Bloods. The bike looked a bit odd; there were bits of the other bike here and there, but with a good clean and a coat of paint, it would be good as new.

I glanced again at the crooked handlebars and the patched up seat.

Maybe not as good as new, but it would go. I only wanted it for fun, not for everyday use.

I committed myself to buying some car polish and a car detailing kit the next time I went into Port Angeles.

* * *

I got my seat back in biology, but Edward ignored me. When we had to work together, he ignored me, and when I accidentally brushed my hand against his he pulled back with a hiss. Sitting in such close proximity to him, thinking back on the tentative friendship we had, I almost lost my internal battle to slap him one. His mood was changing like strobe lights.

I finally snapped. "Edward." I whispered halfway through the lecture. He turned slowly to look at me.

"I want to apologise for whatever I did to offend you. I want to be your friend again."

Edward shook his head imperceptibly. "Not a good idea."

"Why not?" I whispered back, a bit too loudly. Angela turned around and gave us a look.

Edward grinned a bit. "Yes Harry, be quiet."

"Mr Cullen do you have something of biological relevance to add to my lecture?" barked Mr Banner.

Edward glared at me. "No Mr Banner."

"Then kindly keep your conversations out of my classroom." He returned to his lecture.

I smiled apologetically at Edward. "Sorry!"" I mouthed. He nodded stiffly.

When class was finished, Edward cornered me. Alice was behind him, waiting a way off.

"It is not a good idea for us to be friends." He said slowly.

I raised an eyebrow. "Edward, I highly doubt it. Unless you have something against being my friend then I don't see a problem."

He sighed harshly. "But there is. You just cannot see it."

Students flittered past us, and we started walking towards to car park.

"Oh hello again Harry!" Alice said excitedly as she approached us. "Are you coming with us?"

"No." said Edward shortly.

I grabbed his hand, yanking him out of the stream of traffic in the hallway.

"Edward, what the fuck is your problem?" I hissed.

"You Potter! It's you!" he snapped back. "Everything about you is-" he broke off with a groan. "I cannot stand to be around you."

I stepped back, hurt. What a tosser. One minute he wants me for desert, the next he hates me, then he wants to be my friend and now he finds me repulsive. I wondered if he was manic-depressive. Alice must have seen the hurt in my eyes, because she stepped forward to comfort me.

"No Alice, I'm fine. Edward has made his point. Loud and clear." I glared at him.

He glared back. "Good," he snapped. "Maybe now you will leave me alone."

"Edward…" said Alice, warningly.

"If that's what you want." I knew I was drawing it out. I knew Malfoy would be pleased. I also knew that this was payback for meddling with him.

"Yes it is."

I turned sharply and left the school.

I went home and told Malfoy about my encounter.

"Edward Cullen is a crazy psychotic nut." I said exasperatedly when I got home. I flopped down on a sofa in the living room.

"I told you so." Malfoy said childishly from the desk in the corner.

"I know you did. But you don't have to say it. Anyway, I deserved it." I snapped.

Malfoy turned in his chair and stuck his tongue out at me. "Nah nah nah nah nah nah."

My eyes widened comically and I shook my head. "Malfoy what the hell are you doing?"

He mumbled something and I grinned. "What was that?"

"I said, Rose taught me it."

I burst out laughing. "Honestly Malfoy you take your comeback tips from a three year old?"

"What Potter? I had to be sure you could understand them." He shot back. My grin grew wider. I enjoyed this kind of bickering with Malfoy. I decided that Edward Cullen really was a waste of my time. He was nothing but trouble. I would go to school, obliviate him, ignore him and just be Harry.

"See Potter. You just spaced out. I could practically hear you blowing the dust off your brain, hoping it would start functioning. After twenty-five years, I'd say you're pretty much stuck with your dud." Malfoy rapped his knuckles against my skull for emphasis.

"Sod off Malfoy." I said, good-naturedly.

He held out the brown bag of blood pops.

I took one and sucked on it eagerly.

"Anyway," I said, mouth full of blood pop "I have decided that he is not worth my time. He can be a hormonal, moody teenager, but I am done. I finished being sixteen a long time ago. It's time for me to start acting like a man."

"What are you going to start shaving now Harry?" asked Malfoy in mock seriousness.

I rolled my eyes. "Prat. I'm trying to have an epiphany, and you spoil it."

"Of course. It's what Malfoy's do best."

"What, spoil every happy moment in life?" I said sardonically.

Malfoy hummed. "Pretty much." He flopped onto the sofa.

"You git."

* * *

I was tired. And while that was a fairly normal state for a person to be in, I was not a human. I was yawning my way through English, and it wasn't out of boredom. My eyes were heavy and drooping, my muscles felt weak and my legs did not want to support me.

I had no idea why I was tired. I should not need to sleep, but right now, it sounded absolutely blissful. I tried to stay awake for the day, stumbling around the school like a zombie. Malfoy noticed, but probably put my lethargy down as due to our talk last night. But when Edward saw me, he insisted he take me home. Another mood swing.

"But I can't go home! And I'm not tired!" I protested, yawning. I felt like a toddler.

Edward gave me a look that said he agreed.

"Oi! Keep out! You can't take advantage just because I'm sleepy!" I said, knowing that I was probably broadcasting my thoughts. I was too tired to Occlude.

He smirked at me. "I thought you weren't tired?"

I groaned. "Alright, so I'm a little tired. But I do-don" the rest of my sentence was cut off by a yawn.

Edward grabbed my forearm. "I am taking you home."

I grumbled, knowing he would, even if it meant carrying me home like a kid.

"Okay, okay! I'll go. Let go of my arm." I gave up.

Edward smirked at me. "Thank you. Now, I'll just let Alice know I won't be in classes-"

"Oh no you won't! I can take myself home and put myself in bed and sleep! It's not like I haven't done it in years." I said, giving him a pointed look.

He raised an eyebrow. "You aren't driving. Not after what happened yesterday."

I just stared at him. Did he honestly think, after the shouting match I had with him yesterday, that I would let him coddle me?

"That was a fluke. And anyway, I'm alive aren't I?" Sort of?

I closed my eyes but I could still tell he wasn't buying it. "Harry," we were at the car park "Just get in the car. I'll drive you home. You should not drive; you are falling asleep where you stand."

I cracked one eye open to glare at him balefully.

"Oi Cullen! What are you doing with Harry?" I groaned. Malfoy had showed up. Edward also seemed annoyed.

"Harry? I thought we talked about this?" said Draco softly when he reached me. Jessica was following him and she put a hand on my shoulder.

"Harry? Are you okay?" she asked, voice full of concern.

I nodded. "I'm fine! I'm just really tired! I can sleep tonight! Stop pestering me!" I snapped.

Jessica looked hurt, and I immediately regretted snapping at her.

"Jess, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. I think I'm going to go home." I said apologetically, and she gave me a small, crooked smile.

"I'll make sure you're clear for classes, and I'll send your homework home with Draco okay?"

I smiled at her.

"Well, come on Harry, I'll drive you home." Said Draco.

Edward coughed pointedly. "I was taking him."

"No," I said, drawing it out. "I am taking myself home." I glared at the two, and they seemed to realise it was time to back off.

"I'll be home at three okay? And we're going to talk about this." Said Draco, giving me a meaningful glance. I knew he was curious as to whether I was putting it on, or if I was actually tired, and why. Unfortunately I wouldn't be able to answer any of his questions.

Edward hummed. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then Harry."

I nodded to them both, and smiled at Jess. "See ya." I wandered over to my car, waving as I left.

I turned around, suddenly remembering. "Oh Edward, can I have a word?"

Draco nodded at me and started to lead Jessica back inside. Edward looked curious. He jogged over to me. I gestured for him to get in the car with me. Edward looked suspicious but followed me.

"Yes?"

"Did you tell anyone what I know?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"Not even your family? Nobody at all?"

He shook his head again. "Harry what is this all about?"

I looked up at him sadly. "It's dangerous. People who know me could find you, and if you know what you know, there's bound to be trouble."

Edward looked alarmed. "People Harry? What people? I swear I will not tell anybody. Why would I incriminate myself and my family?"

"It's not a question of whether you would day something. You know that I know about Draco, but more importantly, you know that I am still in contact with Ron and Hermione. I can't let them get hurt." I whispered pleadingly.

"Harry, I don't understand what you are talking about. Of course I know about Ron and Hermione, I was there last night. It is not as if you can wipe it from my memory." He said, thoroughly confused.

"I'm sorry Edward, but I really have to do this. _Obliviate_" I whispered.

Edward got a dazed look on his face and when he came to he looked at me oddly. The memories of the past month would show us as friends, me being in the dark about everything.

"Harry, what am I doing in your car?" asked Edward, confused.

I quickly scrambled for an excuse. "Oh, I was getting you your jacket; you left it at my house last time we did study." He nodded, although he still seemed a bit confused.

"Are you alright Harry? You look a bit tired." He said once his eyes had cleared.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm just heading home early. You should get to biology. You're going to be late." My voice was hoarse; I was in moral turmoil. I hated manipulating people, and after the fuss I put up, it was a bit hypocritical.

"Yes, I suppose I should. Goodbye Harry." He said, shutting the car door.

I sighed, and rested my head against the steering wheel, nearly falling asleep. I reversed slowly out of the car park and drove home; my eyes were incredibly heavy, and I started nodding off halfway there.

I was furious with myself. I had just done the one thing I couldn't stand, and suddenly, after ten years of wakefulness, I decided I needed a sleep.

When I finally got home, I crashed on the sofa, and fell asleep instantly.

* * *

I didn't wake up until two the following day. Seeing as I had missed most of school, I decided to spend what was left of the day finishing my bike. I Apparated into Port Angeles and wandered around, window shopping.

I was walking down a back street when I noticed a local bookstore. Normally, books would not interest me, but Hermione's birthday was coming up and I needed to get her something. A book about another culture would fascinate her.

I went in, inhaling heavy incense and eying the rows of books. I started down the shelves, looking at the different categories. There weren't many books, but the section that caught my eye was the mythology of the Quileute's. I flicked through, stories ranging from the Quileute's past battles with opposing tribes, their affiliation with wolves and the treaties made with the people and the 'Cold Ones'.

I ended up buying the book, intending to read it before I gave it to Hermione. A bit cheap, but they only had one copy.

About an hour later I had finished and I was ready to head home. I spotted Jessica's truck before I saw her; she was stood outside the cinema with Angela, Lauren, Mike and Eric.

"Harry!" she called when she saw me. I waved, and jogged across the road.

"Hey Jess!" I smiled at the rest of the group. Eric huffed.

"Where were you today? You just took off home yesterday and Draco wouldn't tell us anything." I could tell she was a bit put out at that.

"Oh it was nothing." I shrugged "I just wasn't feeling very well. I'm fine now though."

Jess smiled. "We're just going to see _House of Horrors 4._" She shivered. "It's supposed to be, like, really really creepy."

Mike grinned. "That's why we're here, hey Eric?" He made a mocking Hercules pose. "Keep the ladies safe."

I snorted. "Mike, you're scared of spiders." I said earning giggles from the girls; particularly from Lauren.

"So did you want to join us?" asked Jess, moving forward to keep up with the queue.

"I can't." I smiled apologetically. "I'm supposed to be doing my English project now." I leant in to whisper in her ear. "Plus, it sounds way too scary for my fragile nerves."

She giggled. "Well, if you're sure..."

I nodded. "Yeah. Another time maybe?"

She smiled hopefully. "Yeah. Well, I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Yep. See you guys tomorrow," I said to the rest of the group. "Bye Jess!"

She waved as I walked away. I couldn't stay with them. They would be in the movies, eating popcorn and lollies, and then they'd all go for dinner and it would look suspicious if I didn't eat.

I wandered past a shady looking pub. The worn and peeling sign proudly identified it as the Royal Hotel. Royal my arse, the place was decrepit. I stopped across the road, debating whether to go in. I hadn't had a drink in ages, and I still had my British Drivers license for a Harry Potter born in 1980.

I shrugged and shrunk my shopping, putting it safely in the inside pocket of my coat. I cast a quick and simple glamour on my face, aging it by a few years. I hoped I looked twenty-five, and if not, the dim lighting of the pub should cover me.

I entered the dingy and hazy pub, ignoring the curios glances sent my way. One overweight businessman with a moustache like Vernon Dursley's eyed me like a hawk while I crossed the floor and took a seat at the bar.

The bartender gave me a grizzly smile. "If ya aint got ID, you can get out." He said roughly.

I stared at him nonplussed. Underage kids must have tried to pull the wool over his eyes one too many times. I calmly laid my ID down on the bar. He picked it up, inspected it then gave me another grizzly smile.

"You gotta watch them kids." He said by way of an apology. "So you're a Brit then?"

I nodded. "Yeah, from London."

He nodded, having read it on my license I supposed. "So what d'you lot drink over there?"

"Bacardi and Coke for the fag Jim!" called out one of the men playing pool. What was with everyone thinking I'm gay? I'm not.

"I'll have what he's drinking." I said, loudly.

The bartender, Jim gave me an amused look. "You sure about that?"

The guy who spoke was walking over. He plonked himself on the barstool next to me. "I tell ya what Jim. If this guy reckons he can drink like me, I'll give him a go at it." He turned to look me straight in the eye. His greying hair and beard looked like they hadn't been washed in weeks, and his shirt was covered in oil and grease. He was big, tough and menacing. "We'll have a drink each. First to give up owes the other a hundred bucks."

People were crowding around now. I raised an eyebrow. "Two hundred." Someone gasped and a guy grabbed my upper arm.

"Mate, that's Johnny Blackthorne. He drinks the most out of everyone, never lost a drinking competition yet. I'd pull out now if I was you."

I snorted. Tough guy or not, it still took a lot of alcohol to get a half-human, half-vampire drunk. I should know.

"Two Hundred." I repeated, holding my hand out. Johnny grasped it, seemingly unperturbed by the coldness of it.

I smirked. "So what are we drinking?"

* * *

An hour later and Johnny was wearing down. His shots were sloppy, his movements sluggish and he was about ready to give up. I was faring better, although I knew I would have a killer headache in the morning. I was drunk, very very dunk, but I was good at hiding it.

"Gentlemen. It's time to test your sobriety." Jim came from around the bar. He pointed towards a dull line in the middle of the floor. "Walk the line!" the patrons cheered. Over the course of the hour, several had defected from Johnny support, and were putting their money on me.

Johnny stood up, sawing and staggered over to the line. He got halfway down before he toppled over and passed out. A couple of his mates helped him up and over to a booth, and watched me.

I knew I was swaying around a bit as I walked over to Jim. I smirked; knowing vampire speed and agility would help me here. If I did step out of line, I could always pull myself back in before anyone noticed. I knew I shouldn't use my non-human ability to win money, but the bastard challenged me. It's not like I went looking for trouble.

I stepped up the line confidently, and walked briskly down it. When I reached the end, I walked over to Johnny.

"My winnings please." I said, holding out my hand. His mate grudgingly dumped the two hundred in my hand and I gave one last look around the pub. "Important lesson here kiddies. Never underestimate your enemy."

I ignored the stares and the questions of the people in the pub and walked out.

I apparated home and was faced with a pissed Draco Malfoy.

"Where the fuck have you been?" he snapped angrily. I giggled madly. He sounded like a housewife. I spread my arms wide.

"Honey, I'm home!" I cheerfully and loudly exclaimed. I grabbed him and tried to snog him, like they did in the movies.

Malfoy pushed me away and screwed his nose up in disgust. "Potter, are you drunk?"

I shook my head seriously. "I'm not drunk. Just slightly inerbriated."

"Inebriated." corrected Malfoy. "I can't believe you! Do you know what happened tonight? Death Eater uprising in Kent."

My eyes widened. "That's bad isn't it? Very, very bad." I said seriously, frowning. Then I giggled. I had no control over what I was doing. Before I knew it, I was laughing out loud, Malfoy glaring at me.

"You tosser!" he yelled. "You fucking prick! Who lives in Kent? I was out there, fighting my arse off, risking my hide, to protect your best friends, and you were out getting _drunk_! And Ron kept saying you'd be there, that you'd never abandon them when they needed you. Nice work Potter. They were always there when you needed them, then the first time it's them in danger and not you, you're off, having the time of your life! You need to sort yourself out. And fast. Or I'll send you to Dumbledore myself."

He stormed off, slamming the kitchen door as he went. I collapsed into a dining chair and let my head fall onto the table.

"Oh cock."

* * *

Life passed in a mechanical blur. After my little eighteen hour nap, I found myself feeling refreshed and full of energy. Days after, I didn't feel the need to sleep, and I figured it was probably just a one off thing.

I did have a massive headache in the morning, Malfoy refused to talk to me, as did Ron and Hermione once they found out where I had been while insurgents had been attacking their home. I felt like shit, and with good reason. Hermione and Ron had always been the best friends a person could have, and when they and their daughter needed protecting, needed me, I was nowhere to be found. What if Rose had been hurt? What if Ron and Hermione had been hurt? What if Aurors hadn't shown up or the Order? The first person that they sent the Patronus to was me, and I never showed.

To make matters worse, Draco and Jessica's relationship was getting serious. And when Jess found out why Malfoy wasn't talking to me, she was pissed off as well. Of course, she only knew that I had been out and came home drunk, but she was still insulted that I had blown her off. I tried talking to her, thinking that the people at school wouldn't know.

"Don't talk to me Harry." She snapped.

"_What?_" I was shocked. She had seemed fine the night before.

"You told me you had an English project to finish. If you didn't want to hang around me last night, why would you want to tonight. Why don't you just go back to your over age friends? I'm obviously not good enough for you." She snapped, but I could see she was hurt.

I reached out, but she slapped my arm. "Jess, please, listen."

"No. Leave me alone."

Fantastic. Everybody hated me.

* * *

I didn't stay at school during lunch. I hadn't eaten alone at break time since primary school, and I wasn't about to start the tradition again. Instead I went home to Flood Ron and Hermione. Their Flood was blocked. I knew the Ministry could track it, but I apparated home anyway. Number Twelve Grimmauld was still the headquarters of the Order, but hardly anyone visited anymore.

It was still as dreary and dusty as it was ten years ago when I first arrived here. I had apparated straight into my old room here, being recognised as Sirius' legal heir.

A loud crash and a voice I recognised as Tonks' came from downstairs. I froze. I had no idea what Remus had told her, or if she was one of the ones out for my blood. Pun entirely intended.

I couldn't stay upstairs until she left; lunch break was only forty-five minutes long and I had spent fifteen getting here.

I crept downstairs as quietly as I could and thankfully avoided her. I continued to the front door, and silently opened it. I had almost crossed the threshold when a young voice called out to me from the top of stairs.

"Uncle Harry!" a blue streak rushed at me, grabbing my legs. Tonks ran out of the kitchen, wand out.

Bad Teddy! I untangled him from my legs and ran.

Behind me I heard Teddy yell "Uncle Harry?"

I apparated to Ron and Hermione's house in Kent.

* * *

After my jaunt to England and return to school Edward Cullen seemed out to get me. When Alice wandered over to talk to me, he pulled her back, muttering about staying away from me. Did he have some odd need to protect people?

I should have known that he would notice something wrong in his head. He was cleverly in tune with the minds of people around him, why did I fool myself into thinking he wouldn't notice my meddling.

It took him three days to realise something was wrong. It took him four to realise everything.

He found out it was me.

He had no idea what I had done, and when he cornered me about it I protested any knowledge.

I was the last one in the gym changing rooms. I was always the last one to get changed as I didn't want anyone to see the state of my body.

I walked into the locker room and pulled open my locker door. It was soon slammed shut by Edward, who I knew sped into the room with the intention of scaring me.

Too bad I knew his secret.

He slammed me up against a locker. It seemed to be a favourite move of his.

"What the hell did you do to me?" he snarled. He lifted me up and forced me against the bench.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Let me go." I said, enunciating each word carefully.

The pressure eased. "You did something to my mind." His voice was low, and it sent shivers down my spine.

"I don't know what you mean." I said, eyes comically wide, hoping he would believe it.

He didn't. Instead, he threw me across the room, and I collided with the opposite wall. A human would have been knocked unconscious but not me. I was furious. Now he was fighting with vampire strength, I wasn't going to lie down and take it.

I stood up, a little disorientated but intact. "I told you I don't know what you mean." I narrowed my eyes, glaring at him. I could feel magic bubbling with my anger, and I knew if I didn't calm down there would be more obliviating on the menu.

Edward wasn't deterred. "Do not lie! I know it was you! My memories are hazy and when I try to remember certain things I can't. It all revolves around you. What are you?" he shouted the last part.

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer." I snapped, clenching my fists and trying to get a hold of my temper. I turned away, hoping he would leave before someone got hurt.

The next thing I knew, I was pinned to the floor, winded. He had me pinned down, and I couldn't move. I tried moving my arms, but he held them. I tried kicking out with my legs, but he predicted that and stopped me.

"Let me up you fucking bastard!" I shouted.

"Edward, that's enough." I turned my head towards the door, where Jasper Cullen stood. "You are attracting attention to yourself. Let it go."

Edward snarled, and pushed roughly against my chest. My magic lashed out and the temperature in the room dropped. I hoped I was the only one who noticed the icicle form on the leaking tap.

When Jasper led Edward away without a single glance at me, I hated myself. I knew I had royally fucked up. The guilt monster reared its ugly head again, and I had nowhere to go.

* * *

I beat Malfoy home and so I decided to take the bike out for its first test drive. I had registered it with the local police, and I had a permit to drive it on sealed roads. I donned a helmet, skipped a jacket and started her up. The engine roared to life, and for several minutes I sat on it thinking about the last time I had been on a motorbike.

I shook myself of those depressing thoughts and backed the bike out of the garage. I knew exactly where I was heading; there was a strip of road with plenty of good corners and long straights.

The wind whipped at my skin; I probably should have worn a jacket. As I raced past the greenery I cast my mind back to earlier today. I was so caught up in thinking, that I hardly noticed how fast I was going. Due to my magic enhancements, the bike went much faster than it should. I was doing a hundred miles an hour, coming up to a tight corner.

I was going to lose it when I had a brilliant idea. I cast a silent _Accio _at a thick tree at the centre of the corner. The bike was pulled towards it, and when I got close, I cast another _Accio _at a tree across the road. The bike righted itself and before I could plough into that side of the road, I cancelled the charm with a wicked grin.

I felt like fucking Spiderman.

An easier corner was coming up. I decided to slow down a bit this time, but still ended up taking the corner too sharply, ending up on the other side of the road.

I regretted this when I saw the shiny silver Volvo coming towards me. I had no time to react, or to brace myself for the impending collision. Time didn't slow this time.

The memory of Edwards face, panicking as he tried to swerve in the same direction as me, and of Alice's horror struck face as she saw what would happen, seconds before it did. That memory would stay in my mind forever I was sure.

The car and bike collided, a bang over the squeal of brakes, and my world exploded in a haze of pain.

It just wasn't my lucky day.

* * *

**AN: Firstly, I apologize for the crappy length. I just feel it's such a wonderful place to stop. Secondly, I want to apologise for the lack of flow; I had real issues writing this chapter, and it seemed that no matter what I do, I just can't get it to go. Thankfully I'm up to the bit I've been hanging out to write, so I should (Notice the should) be able to write a bit better next time.**

**Thanks to every one of the 78 reviewers, 116 Favourites people and the 292 people who put _See the Light_ on their alerts. I wasn't expecting such a response! :)**


	5. Part V

**See the Light**

**thehedgehoglives**

**15****th**** February 2009**

**AN: Before you all set lynch mobs after me, I'm sorry! I left on a terrible cliffy and then didn't update. I have reason, my friend went missing in the Victorian Bushfires, but thankfully, she's okay. And then I've been packing furiously because I am taking a year off and travelling the world. I leave for England tomorrow morning and I'm going all over Europe and to Africa. Not as exciting as it sounds; I'm spending most of my time in England. So if updates are sporadic… I ****apologize**** in advance.**

**Oh and, this must be the seventh time I have tried to post this chapter. Why me? And why today of all days!!!!! Ahhhhhhh!!! I apologize for how many emails you get saying that the chapter is here, when you must have been let down so many times. I hate it when it does that, and hopefully this is it! **

**Oh, and I don't have a beta. If you think I should get one, or would like to volunteer, please let me know, otherwise it will be just me editing and proofing my own work.**

**Anyway, if you a question, check my profile out. I've posted some of the more frequently asked questions up there, and ones that I thought were quite perceptive. As always, thank you to the 135 Reviewers, 179 Favouriters, and 435 Alerters.**

* * *

Draco and Jess walked from the school hand in hand. Students had long since gotten used to the odd relationship between the 'loosest' girl in the school and the boy who had seemed to have a heart of ice. It wasn't unusual to see them wandering about together.

"You hands are always so cold!" said Jess, pulling them closer to her body.

Draco smiled. "Your town is always so cold!"

Jess giggled. "Alright! I'll give you that!" She nudged him playfully. "So, what are we doing this afternoon?"

He grinned brazenly. "Well… I was thinking that you and me could go for a little drive into Port Angeles, catch a movie and have a lovely romantic dinner, following which I would drive you home and you would give me a kiss goodnight."

Jess smiled. "Or," she said slowly, raising an eyebrow "We could go back to my place. My parents are away until tomorrow morning."

Draco didn't even pretend to consider it.

"Done!"

* * *

"I'm glad Harry came around yesterday." Hermione said as she prepared breakfast for Ron and Rose.

Ron looked blearily from the morning paper. "Yeah… suppose." He yawned loudly, making both Hermione and Rose's noses wrinkle in disgust. "I just don't get why you didn't tell him."

Hermione swirled angrily. "Because, you idiot, Harry would go after him. You know what he is like. It is better off he had no idea."

Rose noticed the brewing argument, and quickly excused herself to 'find Polly'. Polly was the worlds ugliest doll and Rose's most recent Christmas Present from Hermione's grandmother. Ron had to applaud his daughters perceptiveness; she certainly didn't get it from him. If he had been there, waiting for breakfast, he would have sat for the entire argument, oblivious for the most part.

Ron sighed. "You heard what he said. 'I have been waiting for hundreds of years, Miss Granger, waiting for my perfect two. My light and my dark. My sons. And I will not stop until I have what I want. Only then will the Kingdom of Moldavia have what it needs to rise from the ashes to the empire it should be.'" He mimicked.

"He's obviously not all there-"

"Not all there? Hermione, he's as mad as a cut snake! And he's the biggest threat to Harry. You know he isn't going to fall for any of that bullshit! He couldn't give a toss about the Romanians, especially since they cheated in the World Cup!" said Ron angrily.

Hermione huffed. "Does everything have to be about Quidditch with you?"

"Hermione, I really think this is a bad idea. I mean, Dumbledore kept him in the dark for five years about the prophecy, and he didn't take it too well did he?"

Hermione rubbed her face with her palms fiercely. "You know we can't tell him. Eventually Sanguini will find him, but until then we just have to let things go."

"I can't believe you lied to him."

Hermione blushed. "Ron! It is for his own good!"

Ron snorted. "Best for all… For the greater good… Where have I heard that before?" he said, cynically.

Hermione looked close to tears. "It's not like that. I'm not thinking of anyone else. Just Harry."

Ron looked apologetic. He was in no mood to sleep on the sofa, and with pregnant woman hormones, there was no way to be sure.

"I'm sorry Hermione, but I just don't think it is right. He needs to know. Sure he's got Dumbledore out for him, and those rogue Death Eaters-"

Hermione interrupted. "Exactly!" she screeched. "Don't you think that's enough?"

"Hermione, don't forget, Harry may not age physically, but he does mentally. He's not sixteen anymore. He never really was. He needs to know exactly what is going on. You can't protect him." Said Ron, reasonably.

Hermione slumped into a kitchen chair. "I suppose you are right."

Ron hummed. "But what I want to know is how Sanguini survived. I thought you killed him. And now he's back with some psychotic Empire-Building fantasty!"

Hermione looked ashamed. "It was like the Devils Snare all over again. I panicked." To Ron's horror she burst out in tears. He leapt out of his seat and went around to comfort her. She leant into his embrace and the couple sat there for a while, French toast forgotten on the kitchen side. Minutes passed before Hermione spoke again.

"Ginny and I opened the door, and there was Malfoy, twitching and convulsing on the floor. And then I saw Harry, pushed up against the wall, that monster pinning him there. He was so pale, and he looked so… relaxed. Harry never relaxed unless he was unconscious. And it scared me. And his face… it was so scared. And Harry was never scared. He never showed it. Oh, you could see it, if you knew him, but the despair and the acceptance. I cast the first thing that came to mind." She sniffled loudly at the end.

Ron looked at her softly. "FiendFire."

Hermione shook her head. "Lumos."

Ron's eyebrows rose in disbelief. "Lumos?" he repeated faintly. "You cast Lumos? Christ Hermione, talk about Devils Snare!"

She hiccupped and Ron wisely changed the direction of the conversation. "But Ginny said…"

"Ginny didn't know!" snapped Hermione. "First, it looked like her boyfriend was being pleasured by another man," Ron shuddered "And then she realized he was dying. She didn't have a clue what was going on until she dragged him out of the cupboard. No I cast Lumos, Sanguini was stunned, as was Harry and Malfoy. We pulled them out, I bound Sanguini, but when I came back he had gone. I daren't tell anyone else." She sniffled louder. "And now he's after Harry again!"

The couple were interrupted by a phone call. Ron jumped up and answered it.

"Hello, Ron speaking."

Hermione looked at him questioningly, wondering who it was.

"Oh, right. Yes, I do remember you. Why?"

A pause, and Ron's face fell with each passing second.

"Oh. Oh god. Do you, erm… do you know his condition?"

Hermione looked worried. 'Who is it?' she mouthed but Ron shook his head.

"Critical? Oh, I meant… never mind. Was there another driver involved?"

A short pause. "Of course I'm worried!" snapped Ron. "He's my best mate! But there's not much I can do for him, running around like a headless chicken all the way in England is there?"

Hermione panicked at the words 'best mate' and made a grab for the phone. Ron pushed her away.

"Look, Hermione is already at Harry's place. I'll call her and tell her to go to the hospital. She has all his visas and everything as well. And I will be there as soon as I can. If his condition changes any, can you give me a call? I don't care what time, just try and let me know okay?"

Another short pause.

"Yeah. Alright. Just… keep an eye on him for me? I can't lose him too."

Hermione was putting the pieces together, a horrified look on her face. Ron hung up and sighed heavily.

"Harry's been in an accident. On a bloody motorbike of all things. I don't know why he insists on..." he broke off with a low growl. "He's at Forks Hospital. You should go. I want to, but how do I explain me getting all the way to America in five minutes?" he sounded frustrated.

"Ron, we are going to have to explain to or Obliviate a heap of Muggles anyway. Does it matter?" said Hermione, calmly.

Ron shook his head, a mix of agreeing with Hermione and wondering at the hormones.

"And Rose?" he asked, thinking of his daughter, who was probably listening from the top of the stairs. That was all Ron.

"I'll go ahead. You see if your mum can look after her for a while. Just say you decided to surprise me. Valentines Day is coming up." Hermione shrugged into her coat.

Ron rolled his eyes. "Hermione, have we ever done anything for Valentines Day?"

"No, but this year we will be visiting Harry in Forks Hospital. What a date!"

* * *

Draco angrily rejected the call on his mobile phone. His shirt was ruffled, his hair a mess, and he was lying on Jessica's bed, in Jessica's room, while Jessica's parents were away on business. What sort of business he didn't know, but he wished some people would mind their own.

The phone buzzed again.

He pressed the green button angrily. "What!" he snapped.

"Draco?"

Oh shit. It was Hermione.

"Sorry Hermione. Whats wrong?" he supposed he ought to be civil to her. She was pregnant and quick with a wand.

"We need you in England. Now!" she sounded worried.

"Now?" he repeated desperately.

"Yes, now!"

"Alright, alright! I'll be at your house in ten minutes." He shrugged at Jessica, mouthing an apology.

"No! Come to Grimmauld Place!" Hermione's shrill wail was beginning to grate on Draco's nerves.

"Why Grimmauld Place?" he asked, suspiciously.

"Please Draco! It's important! Rose is in trouble!" Draco could hear the girl crying for her mum in the background. That was definitely Rose.

He shot up. "I'll be there in ten minutes okay!"

He hung up and turned to Jess. "I'm sorry! It's my friends daughter. She's had an accident and my friends husband is away. She wants me to drive them to the hospital. I'm so sorry!" he hoped she bought his excuse. Somehow he didn't think 'Sorry, I have to go and jump several timezones in less than a minute, to rescue my ex-nemesis' daughter' would sound unlike a fake blow-off. And Jess had already dealt with Potter's excuses today.

Jess shrugged. "It's okay. You have to go. I understand. I'll see you tomorrow?" he nodded and she pecked his cheek. "Stay safe."

"And you."

Once he was downstairs he apparated to Grimmauld Place, London and knocked heavily on door 12.

And was greeted by the end of Albus Dumbledore's wand.

"My, my Mr Malfoy. I wasn't expecting you for at least another eight minutes. Do come in. I have a friend who is just _dying_ to see you."

Oh shit.

* * *

I heard the squeal of brakes and the crunch of metal, and time slowed. Trees blurred, I was thrown from the bike, flying through the air in slow motion. I concentrated on the ground beneath me, repeating the spell Dumbledore used in my third year, in the Quidditch match against Hufflepuff. I hoped it would work, wandless and silent. The black bitumen slowly came towards me, and I was desperately hoping for a miracle.

I crunched against the ground, hearing ominous snaps and cracks from my body. I rolled, in slow-motion, along the road a couple of times before finally coming to rest about ten metres away from the car and my bike. I bit down hard, piercing my tongue and shattering the Blood Pop I had been sucking on. Pain exploded in my stomach; I think I had hit something. The bag of Blood Pops in my pocket was crushed underneath me, melting when the fragments hit the wet road. My shirt and jeans would be a mess. I chanced a look down at myself. The red sugary sweet has spread across my shirt, looking like blood. My vision swims and I limply let my head fall to the ground.

Edward and Alice jumped out of the car, and I saw them coming towards me. Their run was slow, and the pain unbearable. I was holding my breath, staring at my arm. It took me a couple of seconds to realize that there was bone protruding from it, and that it was bent at a funny angle. Edward reached me first; Alice was soon at my other side. After that, my vision went blurry. Maybe I lost my glasses. I didn't need glasses. When had I ever had glasses? Oh, when I was little. I couldn't remember. Cold hands were under my head keeping my head steady while more icy hands rolled my body over. Through the haze I heard voices, fragmented, as if I was underwater, trying to hear them from the surface.

"Hold him steady Alice-"

"He's not breathing-"

"Damn… Get the helmet off!"

"I can't without jostling him!"

I realized they were trying to get me breathing again. And to do so, they would try and take the helmet off, something I was sure would hurt, especially if they damaged any of my nervous system. That hurt like a bitch to heal. I tried to speak, but I think I only made a low groan. Alice heard it; with supersensitive hearing and her closeness to my head.

"Edward, he groaned-"

"Alice, hold his head still!"

Pain in my leg, bones scraping together, and being aligned. Was that me or Edward? I had no idea.

Alice was struggling with the helmet.

"You hold his head steady, and I will pull it off, okay? We need to get him breathing again. He's not human but he's obviously not invincible."

No, no, no! Don't take it off. I knew I wasn't making sense, my own thoughts were fragmented, the pain was unbearable, but I had no relief. No blackness creeping into my vision, no blessed unconsciousness. Only the here and the now and the pain.

Bright light flooded my vision. My eyes were wide open; the helmet was off, the tinted visor hiding me no longer.

"Harry? Harry?" I think that was Alice.

"I think you're wrong-"

"What?"

"He's human. I can see it."

"See what? I thought-"

My skin felt as if it were on fire. It felt like there were thousands of tiny bugs crawling under it, pinching and biting.

"It's fuzzy, like a bad connection."

"Alice are you sure?"

"Do not call an ambulance!"

"What?!" I almost laughed at Edward's scream. It sounded funny. Oh god, I was delirious.

"He'll be in the Trauma Bay, there are nurses, they're looking for Carlisle," Alice gasped and her hands shifted a bit. I was sure even my eyelashes were hurting now. "He's flatlining. But he survives. There is only one way he can survive. I can't see it, but you know what it is. If we call an ambluance, we will just have a heap of explaining to do."

Thank you, thank you, thank you Alice Cullen. You are the brightest- argh! Stop moving you idiot!

"No, Harry will survive, I need him to survive Alice! You do, you cannot understand. You have always had Jasper. Have you ever felt any attraction as strong as that to anyone else? Someone you know you cannot have? He's not human, not really and _I need him! _I try to pull away, you saw me, but I cannot do it! So either help me, or leave me!"

"He's more human than you think. We need to fix this!"

"I'm not turning him."

"He's dead."

"No he is not!" Edwards mood swings were really starting to give me whiplash. Oh, did I just think that? I must be going mad. Insanity due to excessive pain. It happened to the Longbottoms. I shouldn't joke about that. But then, it wasn't really a joke. Am I arguing with myself?

"His eyes are open-"

"Does not mean anything-"

"There's blood coming from his mouth."

"He could have bit his tongue-"

"He's not breathing!"

"-just have to fix it"

A fist on my chest, pushing, pumping, oxygen flooding my lungs, why is he doing that? I'm breathing aren't I? I closed my eyes. The brightness was hurting.

"He's still not breathing."

Cold hands on my neck. "Weak pulse. I can hardly feel it, or hear it."

"-Call Carlisle?"

"I did. He'll be here soon."

Cold hands on my chest again.

"There's too much blood."

"Well go away if you can't control yourself!"

"No…" I heard the soft puffs against my forehead cease. Alice must be holding her breath.

I could hear another car coming.

"Carlisle!" A car door slammed shut, another door opened, more cold hands.

"What happened?"

This must be the doctor.

"You didn't see it?"

His fingers flittered over my neck.

" I don't see anything with him in it."

"Edward, how long have you been-"

"Five minutes."

Cold hands on my face, a bright light in my eye. I can't even react. My mind is so entirely focused on the pain. I can't even tell where it hurts the most. I know that if I was mortal, I would be dead.

"He's not responding."

"Call Draco." Only Alice would suggest that. He probably wouldn't care.

"Harry?"

"Edward, you have other options-"

"No."

A fist pumping at my chest, oxygen filling my lungs. Too much pain.

"Edward-"

"No!"

There's someone sitting next to me. Cold hands.

"Edward, unless you do something quickly, there will be no other chance."

There are cold lips on mine and more air rushes into my lungs and I know that if I don't do something soon, there's going to be one hell of a backlash. I try and quash the pain as much as I can and take a deep breath. It hurts my ribs, and I can't.

Oh god. Everything hurts. The Cruciatus Curse is deemed so painful, so terrifyingly destroying, that it is Unforgivable. Thank God no one ever introduced Bellatrix Lestrange to a motorbike accident.

"...called an Ambulance…Here shortly."

The cold hands behind my head move slightly, and fuck breathing! Pain shoots down the entire left side of my body. If I had the ability, I would be screaming. No one seems to notice the lack of movement coming from my chest.

"Hold him steady Alice!"

There are sirens, in the distance, but I don't care. I can't go to hospital. They'll find out. Steady breaths, Harry, in… out… in… I try, but I can't do it. No one noticed me trying anyway. Edward was still pushing oxygen into my lungs, oxygen I didn't need.

"Sorry! Sorry!"

Boots run heavily towards me. Two humans have arrived; they must be the paramedics. I don't want to go! Maybe if I faked my death and skipped town… maybe Dumbledore would buy that as well.

Wait, vampires weren't supposed to die, so he would think that I had faked my death and skipped town. And then I'd be no better off than I am now, except that I wouldn't have to explain my miraculous recovery. Well that's spannersed my plan.

"Critical-" That was a new voice.

"CPR given. Ten minutes."

"Have you alerted next of kin?"

I'm being lifted. There's something around my neck. No! They're going to take me hospital. How the hell will I explain this? I try to struggle, but my arms are like lead, my legs refuse to move. I jar my arm a bit, and I can't think. Pain overwhelms me.

The cold hands are being pushed off my chest, replaced with warm ones.

"No, please!" I had never heard someone sound so distraught as Edward did then. And I had no idea why. Why was I so irresistible and why would he try and pull away? I really couldn't blame him, after trying to mess with his memory, but it sounded as if he was protecting someone. Surely not me?

"It's okay kid, you did a really good job. Your dad ought to be proud."

I wondered if my dad would be proud of me, if he could see me now. Running, hiding, living as a monster.

"We'll take care of him. Carlisle, ride behind please? We're going to need you."

A door slams. A needle pricks my arm. It doesn't snap. Instead, it punctures my skin fine. Something is rushing into me, something foreign. And my body doesn't like foreign. It burns as it forces its way around through my dysfunctional bloodstream. Why can't they just leave me alone?

"Still no pulse." The hands on my chest are still pumping. Maybe my heart will never start again.

"Oxygen!"

Stop shining lights in my eyes! I try to raise a hand to bat them away, but it just twitches. The ambulance goes over a bump in the road, jostling me. Every minute movement I make hurts. Why won't I just die?

The paramedic gets on the crackling radio, while Dr Cullen does whatever he is doing to me. Maybe if I tell him what I am…

"Approaching… Two minutes."

I crack my eyes open and reach for the pale blur above my head.

"Vampire…" My voice is hoarse and scratchy, but I need to tell him. Hopefully he'll help me.

He freezes.

"Trauma bay on standby."

"What?" hissed Dr Cullen, still frozen.

"I'm…" another bump in the road and the ambulance slows down. Dr Cullen seems to understand.

"You are a vampire?" his voice is too low for the paramedics, who are rushing around the side of the ambulance to open the doors.

"Yes…" I hissed between clenched teeth. "Half. Still feel pain. S'posed to breath, heart beat…"

"How?" asks Cullen, amazed.

I can't talk much more. My muscles are beginning to seize up. "Magic." I whisper hoarsely.

Cullen rears back, suddenly wary.

"If I agree to help you, will you promise not to reveal me or my family?" he asks, protectively.

I have started shaking. I will heal myself soon.

"I knew. First day. Never told." I can't speak in formulated sentences.

Dr Cullen seems to understand. "Okay."

The paramedics open the door. Dr Cullen speaks immediately.

"Tuck, we're going to have to call it." No! No! I like Forks.

"I'm taking you to my house. It'll be risky." He mutters quickly and under his breath while the paramedic speaks. I can still hear him, and Dr Cullen knows I can.

"Alright. Just, get him inside. Try a defib. My son." The paramedic broke off. "My son's his age. Just try for me please Carlisle." The driver of the ambulance moved me into the hospital. Every jarring movement hurt, sending new waves of pain down my body.

"Harry!" I recognized the high pitched squeal as Hermione. I heard it at least twice a year.

"Shit." Ron being as eloquent as always.

The voice of Malfoy that I expected to hear was absent. He would have said: "Holy… Potter!" and if I had been lucid and able to, I would have had something very witty to say to Malfoy, the bastard. But he wasn't here.

Ron and Hermione started towards me, but before they could get anywhere, I had been whisked behind a curtain, with Dr Cullen telling them that he would be with them shortly.

Nurses rushed around me, hooking me up to various machines that made beeping noises, shoving pipes down my throat and up my nose, and putting me in more pain than I was in before.

"Chargin two hundred." Said one of the nurses.

Dr Cullen took the paddles and cringed.

"Sorry" he muttered. And then, "Clear!"

"Charge two-fifty?"

Dr Cullen sighed. "Clear!"

I felt nothing. At all. I willed my heart to start. It did!

A collective sigh of relief went up around the trauma bay.

"I'm going to check the status of the ambulance. He's being taken to Port Angles and airlifted to Seattle." Said Dr Cullen and the curtains were drawn shut. A younger doctor started making requests.

"Blood type?"

No you stupid nurse! Pain doesn't travel through the bloodstream! It's my fucking neurons! Get me some new ones! Preferably ones that don't feel pain! The last thing I need is human blood.

It was rushing into me, filling me, consuming me. I had never had something so sweet. It was like having liquid goodness pumped right through my body.

The nurse who was making her away over to the table tripped and collided with me. Stupid, stupid nurse! Stabbing, twisting, burning pain echoed down my torso, and it was so bad that I stopped breathing again. The warmth of the blood vanished amid the hazy cloud of pain.

The machine noticed what I had not; my heart had stopped as well. That ringing alarm was painful and when the machine emitted a dull, constant beep, all hell broke loose.

"He's flat lining again."

Pain.

"Get Cullen."

"Commence CPR!"

"I can't find him!"

More pain. Stupid nurse! Fancy falling on your patient.

"Adrenalin!"

No! Not more adrenalin!

"Defib!"

Are they just shooting off words they learned at med school or do they actually mean something? It was like ER. But they were actors, and the 'patients' didn't feel like fire ants were roaming free inside their body.

"No response."

"We're gonna have to call it."

"Emergency Ambulance is here. I'll take him out." Dr Cullen was back.

"He's gone Carlisle."

"No he is not."

I felt like laughing. Time of death: approximately several thousand years from now, when the earth goes up in a flaming ball of FiendFire.

I heard a muffled argument between Ron and Hermione, and a whispered incantation. Every muggle in the room looked around, confused, and Dr Cullen took advantage of the momentary confusion.

"I'll take him to the ambulance now." Said Dr Cullen, handing over the paddles.

"Right you are Dr Cullen."

I was being wheeled away again, this time by Dr Cullen, Ron and Hermione holding a Notice-me-Not charm around us both.

"Hey Harry. How are you?" I heard Ron snort. "Sorry, silly question. I'm going to explain what's happening. At the moment, nobody is really taking any notice of you, thanks to our charm. Dr Cullen signed the paperwork, we confounded the paramedic, and the registrar. You're going to the Cullens for a while. You can hide out there and recover, and the town will think you are in Seattle." Explained Hermione.

I tried to grab her hand. Two more people came bounding up to us as we got to the helipad.

"We're here. We have the ambulance. That is quite possibly the most exciting thing I have ever done!" said Alice excitedly.

"Alice, you have to return it." said Dr Cullen sternly.

"Oh, I know. Anyway, it's a terror to drive. So, where are we putting Mister Secretive?" she said cheerfully.

Carlisle answered. "He's going in the back. He can't die apparently, but we ought to make him as comfortable as possible."

The pain eased slowly over the drive to the Cullen's property. When we arrived I was feeling much better. Ron and Hermione had obviously been explaining something, but I found that I was unable to listen. Odd, really, how i knew what was going on around me when I was in the world of pain, but when I was healing, I couldn't concentrate on one voice.

I could feel the familiar wash of magic running through me, healing broken bones and realigning organs. I wondered when that would kick in. Apparently I just needed a little blood transfusion.

"Carlisle-"

"I can see."

"Is he doing that?"

"Yes. It's called magic."

I took a final, shuddering breath, and opened my eyes. I was lying on a stiff hospital bed, face up. Tubes were connected all over me and I flexed my fists unconsciously.

"Sorry, I was going to get rid of them as soon as we got you settled." Apologized a small woman with dark hair. She must be Mrs. Cullen.

Seven sets of topaz eyes were staring down at me. Ron and Hermione stood off to the side.

"I suppose I have a fair bit of explaining to do?" I questioned meekly.

Dr Cullen gave me an odd look. I couldn't quite place the emotion in his eyes. "I'd say that you do. Your friends, however, have already told me."

I sighed and sat up. Nothing hurt anymore, and I was annoyed. All of the pain I had felt a few minutes ago had gone, and now I was fine. If I hadn't had the Horcrux inside me, maybe I would be a proper vampire, and I wouldn't have had to go through the pain.

"They told you. Just like that?" I asked, looking at them shocked.

"There are few wizards on this earth, even The Chosen Ones, who could take on seven fully grown vampires and live to tell the tale." He said it calmly, but the underlying threat that he must have used was still lingering.

I laughed bitterly. "I've heard that before. Different circumstances. Something to do with a troll, a bathroom and an angry Scottish mother hen." I grinned at Ron and Hermione, who smiled back. Then I realized what he had said. "Oh, so you have, er, heard of us then? I mean, before they told you?"

Carlisle looked at me. "It is quite hard to live as a vampire for several centuries and not come across a witch or wizard. Particularly when your kind seems so intent on killing us." He stared directly at Ron and Hermione and I felt a wave of annoyance and protectiveness.

"Ahh… yeah… about that." Said Ron from the corner. "See, there are some, well most of us, really want all you lot dead." I almost snorted at how blunt he was. "But me and Hermione were friends with Harry before all this, and we aren't about to abandon him. Else we wouldn't be here. Anyway, I wouldn't want to cross Harry. He's a bloody menace!"

I grinned at the obvious pun. Hermione didn't find it amusing and elbowed her husband. "Tact, Ronald!"

Buff man grinned. Edward was sulking on the sofa. "Are you going to explain it to us then? How you changed my memories? How you died, and came back, and why you are suddenly alright. Why you claim to be like us, but you have a pulse and you can be hurt. You claim to be a vampire," he stood up and rounded on me "but you smell like human?"

I shrugged. "Are you going to explain to me why you were driving like a man possessed? Or why you seem so infatuated with me or my blood? Why do you pull away from me? Why do you go to school, when you obviously do not need to? Why are your moods so erratic? Are you going to explain your claim that you are a vampire when your teeth are in perfect proportion? Explain why you don't drink human blood. Explain why you live as a family, hiding from the world. Explain why I am feeling so calm, when I want to scream and kick and tantrum?"

All eyes turned to Jasper Hale. "What?"

I sighed softly. "I suppose I owe it to you to tell you." I began my story of life. From becoming a Horcrux and the effect it had on my turning, and out hypothesis on the limits of my humanity and vampirism, and the night of my parents death to living with the Dursleys (although I omitted cupboard references. It was embarrassing enough that Ron knew that, and he swore never to tell Hermione. She would flip if she knew I was locked in a cupboard for days with no food as a child. I thought of SPEW, but a Harry Potter Protection Agency.) I told, with help from my two best friends, of my years at Hogwarts, leading up to my sixth.

"In the Christmas of my sixth year, Horace Slughorn, the Potions Professor, held a party for students who he believed had exceptional talent. I was invited, Malfoy wasn't. He was sneaking around, up to no good. Anyway, at this party there was a vampire, Sanguini. I met him briefly and thought nothing of it. Six months later he tracked me and Malfoy down. We were both a little drunk," Ron snorted.

"Oi! Shut it, Two-Can!" I said, playfully. Ron blushed.

"Right, well, we were both drunk and playing Truth or Dare. Malfoy and I were dared to go to a broom cupboard and I had to make Malfoy blush without using my hands. We never noticed we were being followed. Sanguini followed us into the cupboard, and before I knew it, Malfoy was convulsing on the floor and Sanguini was pushing up against me. He sunk his fangs into my neck, and I felt like I was being drained."

Edward interrupted. "Fangs?"

I looked at him as if he was stupid. "Er… yes? Sanguini had fangs. Enhanced canines." I grinned like an idiot at him, showing my elongated upper canines. They were unobtusive, but slightly longer than usual. I had the fangs but not the rest of the Vampire kit. "You know, being a vampire and all."

The Cullens looked at me as if I was taking the piss.

"Harry, we don't have fangs. Just teeth." Said Alice from the corner.

"Come on! You're kidding right!" Apparently not.

Dr Cullen seemed to be sizing me up. "Harry, how old was this Sanguini?"

My eyebrows furrowed. "I don't know. The conversation between us was limited. Hi! My name is Harry." I waved to thin air and then turned as if to imitate someone else. "My name is Sanguni. I'm going to eat you now. Not much talk about us really."

Hermione glared at me.

"Harry, is it possible that this Sanguini character is older than say, five hundred years?" asked Dr Cullen, his eyes never leaving me. "And, am I right in guessing he is from somewhere in Romania?"

I thought back. It was possible, and he did have an accent. "Yes to both."

Dr Cullen hummed. I looked at him questioningly.

"About eight hundred years ago vampires were disgusting creatures, that dug up fresh graves and drank the blood of the recently dead. These vampires had a pungent odour of death, as their skin and flesh was rotting. These kinds of vampires only survived a year or two at the most. This is where the vampire folk-tales of Romania and Italy originate."

As Dr Cullen was speaking, Hermione's eyes lit up. She interrupted, unable to contain herself.

"Of course! Vampires evolved! Just like in humans, the Darwinian theory of survival of the fittest applied to the undead as well! And with Sanguini being a-" Oh Lord and Heaven help us when Hermione got on a tangent.

Dr Cullen looked surprised at Hermione's speed. "Exactly. I can only assume that Sanguini was from one of the older families."

Hermione shook her head. "No, now that I think about it, there is a myth surrounding Sanguini the Vampire. He was a wizard before he was turned, and I think it sparked a debate on the differences between magical and non-magical vampires. According to _A History of Magic, _Sanguini was legendary; he was the illegitimate son of Ştefan cel Mare, the pious Prince of Moldavia in the Middle Ages. Sanguini was born before Ştefan was crowned prince, but he was hidden from the world. When civil war erupted in Moldavia between 1451 and 1457, Sanguini was taken to Transylvannia, to the court of Vlad III Dracula. Legend has it that Sanguini became a vampire during his stay there. And that he was turned by a member of the Royal Family of Transylvannia, he became Vampiric Royalty. The book becomes a bit vague, but from memory, when Sanguini returned to Moldavia after his father was crowned Prince, the people of the court noted his charm and charisma. Of course I can't be sure as to the truth of the report, but it cites several credible references. It also goes on to say that Sanguini brought countless women to the court in the hopes that one of them would be able to provide him with the son he wanted. None did, and their bodies were often found drained dry of blood. Of course, doctors at the time attributed it to a new disease, and many other people starting showing the symptoms or showing up dead."

Ron had his head in his hands, eyes blinking sleepily. "Love," he said, yawning slightly. "This is fascinating, really, but could you get to the point?"

Hermione scowled. "Of course. Impatient, rude prat! Anyway, the legend resulting claims that the vampire Sanguini has been hiding in Romania for hundreds of years, waiting until the perfect son comes along. He would turn his son, take him back to Romania and together they would build the Empire of Moldavia."

The Cullens all looked slightly awed at the amount of useless knowledge in Hermione's mind.

I was intruiged, but entirely baffled as to why she was telling me this. Hermione must have noticed my confusion because she gave me her impatient 'why isn't everybody clever like me?' look.

"Harry, Sanguni chose you and Draco Malfoy to be his sons. Only it didn't work. You have the Horcrux inside of you that stopped the transformation. Now he is after you to complete his family. I really didn't want to tell you, but Ron talked me into it." Her voice sounded small, even to my ears.

Now I was really confused. And so were the Cullens.

"Harry, you are Sanguini's son. And he isn't dead, he never was. Ginny thought he was, but I used Lumos to stun him, and by the time I returned after setting you up, he was gone. And now he's back. That's who orchestrated the attack on our house. He must have known where we have been in contact." For the benefit of the Cullens she explained what had happened a few nights ago.

Edward carded his hands through his hair. "So what you are saying is, Harry has a piece of another man's soul inside of him, preventing him from being turned fully into a vampire?"

Hermione nodded warily.

"And that Harry currently has a deranged and psychotic ancient vampire after him, to finish the job he started?"

"Yes."

Edward stared at her. "You do realize how far-fetched it all sounds."

I had to agree.

It was Ron who spoke up this time. "Harry, mate I heard him. He was stood outside the wards screaming it for everyone to hear. That's why we forgave you so quickly. When you came around to apologize we told you it wasn't necessary because we didn't want you there. Yes, we sent you the Patronus first, but it went to your house. Neither of us was thinking. And when we saw who it was, leading them, well, we sort of hoped you were out."

"And why was Sanguini leading them? You reckon it's because he wants me and Malfoy as his sons…" I trailed off, noticing the absence of the blonde prat for the first time.

"Where is Malfoy?"

Everybody looked at each other.

"I couldn't get a hold of his mobile." Said Alice, apologetically. "And nobody was home last time I tried calling."

I bit my lip. He was still pissed at me, about getting pissed the night before. It was probably the giggling that did it.

"I'll try. Hermione and Ron can tell you the rest." I stood up to go outside, but Edward followed me. Once we were out of earshot or everyone, including the vampires, he stopped. I kept walking, hoping to avoid confrontation, but he stepped infront of me. And when I tried to sidestep him, he was there.

"You're very quick." I said, sagely.

Edward gave a lopsided grin. "I've been told."

"You obviously want something." I might as well get to the point.

He apparently thought so too. "You know you really smell like human." He grabbed my wrist and put it up to his face. "Here." He dropped it again, and tilted his head closer to my body betrayed me, by tilting my head to allow him better access. "Here." His hands were on my shoulders and his head bent lower, hovering over my chest and my treacherously loud heartbeat. "And here." His closeness was sending me wild; the smell… how had I never noticed it before. He smelt divine. Oh God! I knew what he meant by irresistible. Except it wasn't me! It was him! He moved up to my forehead, nose hovering less than an inch from my scar. As odd as it sounds, being smelt up by a vampire is slightly more sensual than it sounds. "But here," he said, as he stepped back and placed his cold hand on my scar. "You smell of something dark, something evil, and something forbidden. It is like Adam and Eve to the forbidden fruit. On your first day I was ready to kill everyone in that biology lab, just to get to you. No one has ever made me feel that way, so close to losing it. And then I reigned myself in, tutoring you, being around you. And then all of a sudden, I forgot everything. You were no more than an ordinary student to me, but something niggled, at the back of my mind." He carded his hands though his hair. "You are not normal. Not normal for human standards, or wizarding standards or vampire standards. And I love it."

I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"I'm not gay."

Edward smiled at me, amused. "That's nice to know. Me either."

I took a step back and cleared my throat. "Well…" I shifted awkwardly. "That's good." I nodded. I had no idea what I was doing. Maybe that adrenalin they gave me a few hours ago was having an adverse effect on my brain.

Edward looked like he was about to burst out laughing. "Yes," he said "It is."

I nodded again. "I'm glad, er-erm…"

He raised an eyebrow. Why wasn't he flustered? At least I wasn't blushing; it was physically impossible for me to blush. He seemed to notice how uncomfortable I was, and changed the topic. To one even more uncomfortable.

"Harry, when you spelled my memory, or whatever you did, did you honestly think you would get away with it? I read minds. I know what every person on this earth is thinking, except you. Malfoy I sometimes grasp surface thoughts, but he has a very closed mind. You however, are a blank. Do you think?"

I huffed indignantly and he laughed.

"Sorry."

I pinched my lips together and hummed.

"I am comfortable inside the minds of millions of other people, did you think I wouldn't notice you messing around in mine?" He wasn't angry, just a bit reprimanding.

I shrugged. "Honestly, yes, I did think you would notice. It wasn't even my idea. It was Malfoy's. He does odd things, making me do things or pretend things. He's a control freak and a bully; he always has been. And I just tend to go along with him. But set that aside and he is a good friend."

Edward raised an eyebrow. "A good friend that convinces you to alter the memory of your classmates?"

"Yes." I said firmly. For all his faults, Malfoy was a good friend. He followed me here, albeit to save his own arse. But he could have stayed. His existence was less valuable than mine, and Dumbledore would probably have agreed to let him help find me. And Malfoy would have probably agreed, if Dumbledore organized it right. He was too much a Slytherin. Sometimes a guy needs a little courage and a healthy pair of balls.

"Harry, do you find it odd that he is missing?"

I shook my head. "He didn't know what happened. And he's probably on a date with Jessica."

I tried calling him but got his voicemail. And again. I tried home but got our answering machine.

"_Hello, you have reached us. If you don't know who we are, then you should hang up now. If you do, and have something worthwhile and meaningful to say, please do so after the tone…"_

"Malfoy, if you are at home and ignoring me, I am going to kill you, immortality be damned!" I slammed the phone shut.

"You said he swore allegiance to Dumbledore shortly after he was turned."

I shrugged. "He was a Death Eater. And he didn't want to be one anymore. It's not something you walk away from unless you've got your arse covered by me and or Dumbledore."

Edward raised his shoulder. "I'm just trying to-"

I interrupted him. "Look, Edward, I have the crazy Empire obsessed vampire who turned me after me, I have Dumbledore, the most powerful light wizard in several centuries after me and I have several sycophantic Death Eaters who want to revive their master after me. Eh, third time lucky I suppose. But, seriously, do you think I have enough to watch for without watching those I trust the most?"

Edward shook his head slightly. "We heard of him."

I looked up, shocked. "Who?"

"Voldemort."

"How?"

Edward sighed a bit, out of habit. "He sent one of his messengers to America. Promised us humans and the respect we deserved. Basically, he said if we fought for him, we would help him rule by fear and in reward, would be tossed a human to feed off and kill."

I winced. "Sounds like my man."

"Carlisle was furious. We never met another one. This was years ago though. About 1975?" his eyebrows crinkled in concentration. "I can't remember but sometime around then. We stopped associating with the Wizarding World after that, not that we did much anyway. Of course, we heard about you, but we were living happily in Alaska, so we didn't really care too much. We've never been into that world." He sighed again and sat down on a tree stump.

"Really?" I laughed. "Welcome. Once you know me, you're bound to be dragged into whatever strange adventure I come up with. Or whatever strange adventure finds me." I grinned at him. "You in?"

Edward grinned back. "Sure."

* * *

**AN: Awww… how sweet. I'm off to bed, feeling warm and mushie. (Not mushy, mushie is different, I swear!)**


	6. Part VI

**See the Light: ****Chapter 6**

**thehedgehoglives**

**22 March 2009**

* * *

**The Year: 7072**

God, the screaming is getting louder again. Mass hysteria and panic leads to violence and more fear. Guns are being fired, the screams increasing. The windows are shattering and I wonder if I should move down to the cellar. I haven't been down there in so long. Nearly one hundred and fifty years. Not since I lost, well, since I lost everything. A hundred years is a long time to be on your own. And I cannot pretend that I didn't think it would happen. That would be a fools hope. Life is not perfect, and I have learned that death is not perfect either. I don't beleive in heaven, but I do beleive in hell. What else is this that I have been living in? A melancholy state of depression and self-loathing. I should stop feeling sorry for myself, because if I do survive, then others will be counting on me. That's my purpose. Since I have been alone, I have done everything in my power to help those that I can, neglecting and trying so hard to forget those that I cannot save. The cellar holds some of my darkest secrets, the people I wish to forget.

A loud bang comes from the street and my writing is interrupted. A brick comes hurtling through the window and the heavy curtains are blown apart. The whole city of London is on fire. I know that I need to move. Human hands are starting to appear at my windowsill, three storeys up. their fingers are black and oozing yellow and green mucus, their fingernails torn and chipped. I know that if I wait much longer, I would see their faces, eyes a dull grey and blank, cheeks hollow and noses gone. These are the humans that never received the care, they are the ones that fell from this pandemic. The fire, the violence, the gunfire, it is all a result of the over-powering mass of infected people.

I walk over to the window, pulling my wand out as I do. A softly spoken severing spell removes the climber's hands, and buys me a couple of seconds to get out. I am not afraid, I have fought them before, but I would rather not become infected. I gather my writing and any other valuables I will need. Money is useless, but the invisibility cloak and my photo album I was given when I was eleven are still two of my most prized and treasured possesions. I run quickly down the spiralling staircase to the ground floor and open the doors to the cellar with a wave. I avoid looking at the doors on either side of me, and rush to the desk I keep down here. I lock and ward the door, secure in the knowledge that now noone can enter unless I open the door from the inside. And I am not going to do that.

They thought they were so clever, that they knew the cure for every disease imaginable. But this virus started slowly. It has been around for five hundred years, evolving and changing and now it is rival to the Black plague of 6000 years ago. The doctors were the first to fall ill. After that, well who can cure the sick when the doctors are all gone? Carlisle helped for as long as he could. All of us did. I never went to medical school though, and so my help was limited. I knew many healing spells and potions, magical cures to different ailments but none cured this new plague. After that I was stuck. And when they fell, I did the only thing I could. By this time the army had moved in and was indiscriminately killing anyone involved, from the families of the ill to the doctors and nurses and people trying to save them. And so the next to be infected was the armed forces. It spread outwards and upwards, infecting everyone. I knew that if I left my family there, then they would be destroyed as well. So we scattered, and I brought the worst home with me. I have tried everything I know, hoping that one day, they will wake up alive and sane. It is disconcerning to say the least, when I see the aristocratic Malfoy screaming and wailing at phantoms and illusions.

I sigh and return my thoughts to the years ago. If this is to be a memior, I want it to be complete. I want any survivors to read it and learn. I started at the beginning, and I will fill it with useless information of better times. Memories that make me feel happy, peaceful and alive. I have no advice for the survivors, and this will not be a collection of my scientific notes on how to defeat the disease. This is mine, my thoughts, my fondest memories, and if you wanted a cure, you can get off your arse and find one. Lord knows I tried, and now, in the style of a dying man, I want to reflect and relive. Hopefully I will reunite with my family. I put my pen back to paper and continue to write.

In the rush of that afternoon I completely forgot about one person. How I managed it I'll never know, but the history of it is that I forgot about one annoying blonde prat. I always wonder, when I'm feeling self-destructive and self-loathing, if I had have remembered him, or if I had noticed he was missing, or that said disappearances was unusual and suspicious, then would I have changed anything? Would the following eight weeks have been any different? Would I have charged back to Britain, into 12 Grimmauld Place, on a poorly thought out rescue mission, and ran off with my damsel in distress? I'm sure he'd hate me for calling him that, and for the self-satisfied smug grin I currently bear.

But then, if I had have rushed back to Britain, would it have turned out worse? Looking back on it now, back so many years, it actually ended rather well. Retrospectively, it could have been worse. Somehow, it didn't feel like that at the time though. We weren't sure who was working for who, who was fighting for who and the whole conflict seemed to be one big fight where no one really knew whose side they were on. There were four sides and, rather unfairly, three were fighting against me.

* * *

**The Year: 2006**

"We stopped associating with the Wizarding World after that, not that we did much anyway. Of course, we heard about you, but we were living happily in Alaska, so we didn't really care too much. We've never been into that world." Edward sighed and sat down on a tree stump.

"Really?" I laughed. "Welcome. Once you know me, you're bound to be dragged into whatever strange adventure I come up with. Or whatever strange adventure finds me." I grinned at him. "You in?"

Edward grinned back. "Sure."

We stood there for a while, grinning at each other like maniacs before we both realised what we were doing. I cleared my throat and started inspecting my surroundings awkwardly.

"So," said Edward slowly "These adventures you find-"

"Find me." I corrected, kicking a small rock into a puddle, where it landed with a soft splash.

"Right." he said, disbelievingly.

My foot stopped mid-air and I resisted the urge to cross my arms and pout. That would not support my 'I'm Straight' argument. "It's true! Trouble finds me, not the other way 'round. It's not like I go looking for it!"

Edward gave me a look that quite plainly said 'Grow up'. I humped and continued my kick. Only this rock was fairly well stuck in the ground and I ended up stubbing my toe. Edward amusedly watched me hop around, clutching my injured toe, and the smug grin he had on made me even more irritated.

"Stupid vampire-boy, stupid rock" I muttered. His grin widened, which only served to irritate me even more. I drew my wand, smirking inwardly when Edward took a step back.

"_Reducto!_" I shouted, impressed at the loud explosion I created. When the dust had settled I smirked at the shocked vampire. I calmly put my wand away and stepped over the large crater, brushing past him.

"Feeling better?" he asked, and I was pleased to notice his voice had raised an octave.

I smiled. "Oh yes. Much better. Then again, blowing shit up always makes me feel better." Edward winced at my use of a swear word and I rolled my eyes.

I started listing things off on my fingers, but didn't get very far into my list. "Cakes, Aunt-"

"_You blew up your aunt!_?" I tried hard not to burst out laughing at the incredulous look on his face, forcing myself to appear nonchalant.

"Well yeah," I said, as if it were obvious. "I was thirteen, moody and she insulted my dead mother. And technically, Marge wasn't my aunt, she was my uncles sister." Edward just shook his head. "Anyway, I've blown up cakes, aunts, boats, buildings, a theatre, bridges, computers, cars, that motorbike oh! And a hot air balloon!"

"A what?" I grinned, both at the memory and at Edward's face. I could understand why he rarely showed his emotions; he looked so funny being anything other than stoic.

"A hot air balloon." I repeated. "You know how I was an Auror? Law Enforcement? Yeah, well, there was this one Death Eater, Dmitri Torville, who decided to threaten the bar staff of a popular wizarding pub. He claimed that unless I handed myself over to him and his merry band of Death Eater buddies, he would blow the whole place up. Of course I was dispatched and he chickened out once I got there. He ran for the door and attempted to transfigure a pumpkin into a getaway vehicle. It worked, sort of. He ended up flying over London in a hot air balloon that looked like a pumpkin. He wasn't the brightest crayon. Anyway, we lured the balloon away from London and out over the Channel and I got to blow it up over the sea. He survived and swam to shore, only to be arrested by some of my buddies from the DMLE."

Edward just stared at me. "Right, and next I suppose you will tell me that you are secretly James Bond and work for MI5?"

I winked. "I did do one mission with them, but if I told you anymore than that, I'm afraid I'd have to kill you." I started walking back to the house. Edward jogged up to me.

"Wait," he said, grabbing one of my shoulders. "You cannot be serious. I believe that you worked for the magical equivalent of the FBI, but I just cannot see you being a killer. I mean, look at you. You look like the most innocent thing to have ever walked the earth. Big green eyes, tiny build, you're graceful like Alice, you practically scream 'Protect me!'- do not interrupt, I know you don't like it- and you claim to be this amazing, war hardened assassin. It is a bit unbelievable."

I rolled my eyes. I should have known that Hermione's explanation wouldn't be enough. "Look Edward, I was turned in 1996, nearly ten years ago. Since then, Draco and I have had to fend for ourselves. We discover new things about ourselves everyday. We had no idea how to survive on our own, and if we had, we'd be like the wild vampires in Romania who survive off plain and animalistic bloodlust. We couldn't just leave our mortal lives behind anyway. See what has happened to us now? Dumbledore, Sanguini and the remaining Death Eaters are all after us. We cannot leave. Draco is practically wizarding royalty and I have been a public figure since I was one. It would have been impossible for us to just drop off the radar, particularly at that time, when we were just coming into our adult lives. I was the prophesised one, the Chosen One, and it was my duty to protect the world."

I was very aware that I was ranting. I didn't care, I just needed to get my point across. He would never leave the subject be unless he knew everything there was to know about it. Edward was so used to reading peoples minds that not knowing our secrets was driving him wild. And while I could see how it would, he was being a pervert. Better to nip the problem in the bud, rather than have him constantly questioning me or Malfoy.

"Once I did that, I was expected to train to be an Auror. And so I did. I fought criminals, terrorists, extremist political factions and protected the good, hardworking society to which I could never belong. I volunteered for the more dangerous missions, hoping that one day I would come up against something that would kill me. I hated myself, my life and everything about me. I threw myself into my work, obsessed and quickly caught the attention of the department head. I was promoted, given extra training, as if I needed it. They harnessed my best resource; I have been programmed to kill."

Edward still didn't seem convinced.

"Oh for fucks sake!" I snapped. "Since I was fifteen, all I have known is that I have to kill, kill or be killed. When I was sixteen I was turned into the Earth's most dangerous predator. Convenient that!" I rolled my eyes sarcastically.

"I am a killer, I always have been and I always will be. I highly recommend that you do not underestimate myself or Malfoy, because you will come out much worse off. I have met creatures far more depraved than you or I, and who stands before you, telling the tale? I don't care if you believe me, you will see it for yourself if you stick around. I am not some doll for you to protect and nurture, I can take care of myself well enough. So you can fuck off if that's what you think."

Edward unclenched his jaw. "Look, I'm sorry." he said, glancing at me to check my reaction.

I smiled a bit. "I understand that it is a bit hard to believe. And that you can usually tell if a person is lying or not from their thoughts. Which is a total breach of privacy-"

Edward looked affronted. "What, like erasing somebody's memory isn't?"

I blushed. "Well, I had no choice. And I've already explained this." Edward rolled his eyes and punched me lightly on the shoulder.

"Owww!" I cried, pretending to be hurt. Edward saw through it and raised his favourite eyebrow at me.

"Come now," he said in the soft voice he used with Rose. "Big, mean Edward didn't mean to hurt you. He just didn't realise how precious and fragile you are." I stopped walking and turned to face him sharply.

"I'll give you fragile!" I growled. He didn't have chance to respond before I had jumped him, sending us both flying back into the ground. We rolled around, alternating in laughing and throwing insults at each other. Eventually I had Edward pinned down, smirking triumphantly at him.

"I win - oomph!"

Our positions were reversed; Edward was on top of me, his face hovering inches from mine. The look on his face was deadly and not for the first time, I was petrified of the vampire hovering over me.

"Are you scared?" whispered Edward.

"No." A bold-faced lie, but I couldn't agree. It would damage my precious ego far too much.

"Liar." Damn the mind-reading vampire. "But I really can't blame you. After all, I am the stronger one, the faster one, the one who has killed more humans. I am an expert and you are but a child."

His eyes never left mine, never blinked or looked away and suddenly I realised what it must be like to be on the receiving end of Edward's hunger. So I scoffed. Bad Harry. "You forgot to mention how modest you are. And you seem to be forgetting that I have a strength which none of your family possesses."

Edward smirked and I didn't like it. At all. When had this become so serious, such a matter of life and death? (because I was almost certain that's what this, whatever this was, had become) Actually, I wasn't even going to bother wondering an answer to that. Edward Cullen was just one big paradox, bundled into a pretty box. One minute he was my best mate, the next he hated me, then he was threatening to kill me, then be my friend, and then he wanted to eat me (something I didn't think was very friendly at all) and, on top of all of that, sometimes he fancied me and lusted like a hormonal teen at a strip club. At the moment, I couldn't tell which one was which.

Edward reached into my coat pocket and pulled out my wand. Now I knew what mood he was in and I really did not like it. I wondered if vampires could be affected by mood stablizing drugs, and then wondered why I had to think that when I had a hungry vampire pinning me to the mud.

"But you are vulnerable without this." he said, breaking our staring match to watch the wand twirling between his fingertips. I wondered if bluffing my way out would help, but seeing as I was up against a vampire that read minds and could read mine when I was as shit scared as I was at that moment-

"No, lying will not help you. I know how scared you are. I find it makes the meals more interesting. It adds a flavour to the blood like an expensive sauce." He grinned a little and I could have cursed myself. The bastard was playing me. Playing me like his precious piano, which I swore to myself I would smash into tiny little pieces when I saw it next. I kept those thoughts hidden behind the lyrics to a Girls Aloud song.

Edward's brow furrowed when my panic was replaced with suggestive lyrics. "Harry... what?"

_Watch me living it up... got me stuck in a rut... I gotta let you know... I wanna give into my temptation... blow up Edward's Piano... woo... I can't speak French so I let the funky music do the talking... and the big kaboom his piano is going to make..._

Edward growled, obviously hearing my slip of the tongue. "You wouldn't dare."

I smirked up at him. "Oh carry on with your story about bloodlust and tasty morsels of mortals. It really was entertaining me."

Edward pouted slightly. "But you were scared!" he whined.

"Was I? Did you enjoy my Cheryl Cole impersonation? I thought I sounded quite like her."

Edward growled again. I realised I was picking a fight, and that I must have learnt the habit from Malfoy.

I caved. "Alright, so I was about to shit myself. You were bloody scary." Edward grinned in victory. "But you couldn't have killed me anyway, because as soon as you tried the horcrux would have kicked in and... saved my life... oh bloody hell!" I pushed Edward off me, my mind running at a hundred miles an hour.

"Harry what's wrong?" asked Edward, watching me pace furiously.

"Bringing all that up, teling my whole story again has made me realise something, and I really, really hope I am wrong. Because if I am right, it totally undermines my whoel state of existance." I rubbed my face angrily as I swore.

Edward came up to me and grabbed my hands, pulling them away from my face. I raised my eyes to look into his and was about to tell him to sod off when I noticed that he was debating what to say.

"You need to calm down. And think about what you are going to say before you start predicting the end of the world." My nose twitched and I could have smacked him. How dare he tell me to calm down?

"Edward," I said, slowly, quietly and with a threat the size of Russia in my voice. "I have just come to a startling realisation, and my only conlcusion is that I have once again been manipulated by Albus fucking Dumbledore, and so I would appreciate it if you didn't tell me to calm down. Particularly since your mood swings are worse than a girl with PMT. Now, if you let go of me, I will calmly and rationally tell you what I am going on about. Good?"

Edward nodded and let go.

"Right, Hermione told you all about the war, and the last time I faced Voldemort. What she didn't tell you was our theory that the horcrux inside me would be destroyed when he inevitably hit me with the Killing Curse. The curse rips soul from body, but because my soul is undead, the curse would search for the living sopul inside of me, that being the piece of Horcrux. Voldemort did get me with the Killing Curse, and I felt the soul fragment leave my body, I physically felt it. But nothing changed. I wasn't turned, I didn't die, I don't die. Why not? Because it was never the horcrux keeping me alive. It can't have been. I felt it leave, it is gone and Voldemort's body was destroyed. I was just too caught up in my own grief that I never even thought about it. And neither has anybody else."

Edward looked confused. "But what is keeping you alive then? I saw you in that accident; you should have died!"

I shook my head. There was more to this, and it was odd that I was only remembering it now. "I don't know, but I'd be willing to bet that Dumbledore does. And that's why he has a sudden interest in hunting Draco and I down. Speaking of Malfoy, where is he?"

Edward shrugged. "Alice tried calling him earlier, but it just went to his voicemail. She's left a couple of messages, but he never called back. He may have done while we've been outside, if you want to go back in and check?"

I nodded and started walking back to the house. "I wonder where the ferret is."

* * *

Draco Malfoy had never been in such a vulnerable state since his turning. And it irritated him no end. He was currently shackled to a chair in the 'Conference Room' of Grimmauld Place, glaring hatefully at Albus Dumbledore and Sanguni.

"I assure you, Mr Malfoy, that co-operation is necessary." sighed Dumbledore, benevolently. "Mr Potter is in possession of something of mine which he is not entitled to, and the results of him using the possession would undoubtably be disastrous."

Malfoy scoffed. "Because it wouldn't be a complete and utter disaster in the hands of the benevolent leader of the Light?"

Dumbledore whispered something and Malfoy glared, hopefully communicating the various words and phrases he would have liked to have said out loud, if it wasn't for the silencing charm he had just been placed under.

Sanguini stepped forward and Malfoy fought hard against flinching.

"Please, my son." His cold hand came to rest against the blondes cheek, stroking it affectionately. Draco slammed his eyes shut and turned his head away. "Please, tell us where your brother is. Bring him home. Together, we can fulfil our destiny as the light, the dark and their father, together at last. After so many years, our family can be reunited, if only you tell me where your brother is."

Draco had the insane urge to vomit at the mention of Potter being his brother. He wondered why Dumbledore was working with Sangunini. Surely the damage they would do together would outweigh the damage they would do apart. The three most powerful vampires united as rulers of an ancient empire. However ridiculous it sounded, in the magical world it was entirely possible and a little bit frightening. So why would Dumbledore want them all together?

But… oh, he thought with dawning realisation, the man was a manipulative bugger. Get them all together, all the enemies of the state and kill them all at once. But how would he kill them all unless… Ah, Dumbledore would exploit Harry's nature. He hated seeing anything die, any innocent being hurt and he fought against domination of any kind. His was a staunch supporter of freedom and democracy and Dumbledore knew that Harry would never fall to illusions of grandeur and power. He knew that Harry's only intention if he decided to come along the to 'family reunion' would be to kill or incapacitate both or either Draco and Sanguini and prevent a forceful take-over of the magical world. But draco knew that Dumbledore's plan had one fatal flaw. Well, apart from being based on total bollocks that was pulled out of an insane megalomaniac vampire's arse, the Harry Potter he knew and the Harry Potter ten years later were two very different people. Harry would do everything in his power to protect Draco, and everything in his power to kill or incapacitate one Albus Dumbledore. Ten years ago, he would have protected Dumbeldore and murdered Draco.

That and Harry probably wouldn't fall for it. He just hoped that Harry had been told about the history surrounding Sangiuni and what he meant on the night they were turned by light and dark sons and destiny and the other crap. Draco had only been told several hours ago and knew he either need to break out and warn Harry, or hope to God and hell that someone privy to the Order's information had told him.

By that he meant the idiot and Granger.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, obviously waiting for draco's answer.

He smirked. "I know what you're up to. And you do realise it wont work. Harry wont do it. He did learn from the who Department of Mysteries thing and the death of his godfather. You can't blackmail him. That and you don't know where he is and you need me to sweet-talk him home. And there is a cat in hells chance of that happening. Because, quite frankly, I don't care what you do to me. I am a vampire and the only time you can hurt me is when you kill me, and you don't want to kill me, because then we wont be able to have our little family reunion. So, basically, you can both get fucked." he sat back with a satisfied smirk on his face.

Dumbledore spoke a few words to Sanguini. The vampire nodded and Dumbledore left. Once the headmaster had closed the door, Draco found his head in a death grip and two red eyes boring into his own.

"Do not fool with me boy! Do not even try it. Unless you have forgotten who turned you. Who slipped past the impenetrable wards of Hogwarts to seek you out. Do not be so arrogant as to assume that you can best me. Compared to me, you are weak." Draco glared at his supposed 'Father' as he realised with sinking dread that he hadn't fed for days. "You are a weak, starving child, am I right? And I, as your father have brought you nourishment. When did you last feed, my son? I must go and get your… reward. If I were you, I'd think hard about what you want to tell me in the next five minutes." he smirked and slipped out the door.

Draco was panting heavily. If he thought he could be bribed with food, Sanguini was seriously deranged. However, Draco's anger, mixed with a two-day thirst was starting to make his mouth water and his vision tunnel. Some small instinctive part of his brain knew that food was coming. He would not be weak. Harry's life was worth more than a feed. The sleepy town of Forks did not need attention, or a pack of savage wizards and vampires. There were enough vampires in Forks as it was. No, Draco knew that whatever Sanguini brought through the door would not make him cave and reveal the information he wanted. Not only would Harry be at risk, but so would Jessica. She may only be a high school fling, but there was no way in hell Draco would put her at risk. She had no way to defend herself. What would his father think of his defense of a Muggle?

Sanguini re-entered and Draco knew he had brought a live human with him. Draco had never tasted human blood, and so the allure wasn't as strong as it would have been otherwise. He was still incredibly hungry and could feel the venom pooling in the back of his throat.

"Uncle Draco?"

Draco's whole body stiffened and his fists clenched as he set his eyes on the small body Sanguini was holding close. Tears streamed down Rose's face and he could hear her heart racing in fear. He held his breath, but it didn't help. The room was blurring, shapes becoming indistinct and colours melting. The only thing that was clear was the pathetic little girl, sniffling and bravely fighting tears. Sanguini laughed at the obvious conflict taking place in the younger vampire. His instincts were screaming for him to attack, but what remained of his human mind was holding him back. This was Rose, the little girl he loved, even if she was a Weasley. His vision cleared a bit but the hunger was still there, and was still incredibly strong.

"You sick fuck!" he spat. Sanguni laughed aloud again.

"And now you see what you are. You are a monster. You cannot control your thirst. She is young, fresh, tasty. So innocent and naïve, so delicious. You just want to break out of those flimsy restraints and take a small… bite." His silibant voice washed over Draco, almost hypnotising him. If he had just a little...

Draco pushed his body back into the chair. He knew that if he did get carried away, he could quite easily kill the young girl, something he did not want to do.

"Fuck off." he gasped, all energy being spent on keeping control of himself.

"Now, now, Mr Malfoy. Temper, temper." Sanguini raised a condescending eyebrow. "We can't have you swearing around the little one now can we. Although I don't suppose it matters. Her manners wont be important because I doubt she will be alive much longer. Your control is slipping. Maybe you just need a taste, a starter, if you will."

Draco groaned and Sanguini grinned, his pale face twisting and sneering. He dragged his forefinger across Rose's cheek, drawing blood. Draco stiffened at the scent. Sanguini threw the girl to the floor harshly, the impact rendering her unconscious, Draco could hardly care less, he smell of blood was driving him wild. Sanguini came closer, the drops of blood glinting on the end of his finger.

"There is an alternative," he purred. "Tell me what you know about Harry Potter and I will arrange a meal more to your tastes.

Draco was faced with no choice, Harry could defend himself. Rose couldn't, not at the moment, and he would never forgive himself either way.

"I'll tell you what you want to know. Just let her go. Get her out of here." he whispered, hating how weak he sounded. The blood was so close, the pale finger hovering just under his nose.

Sanguini smiled and wiped his hand on his trousers. He patted Draco's head condescendingly and moved over to Rose. He gathered her into his arms and left with a patronizing 'Good boy'. Draco slumped forward, thirst not entirely gone but going.

"Forgive me." He mumbled, to no one in particular.

* * *

Jessica rolled over and groaned. She had fallen asleep sometime after Draco had left and, looking at her alarm clock, she had three hours before school to do a whole nights worth of homework.

"Arghh! Stupid body clock... ticking out of itme only ruins Jessica's day!"

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and rolled out of bed. Mustering her non-existant morning energy she plodded over to her desk and sat down, intending to start on her English homework. Before she could start, she was distracted by a flashing light coming from the floor near her bed. Realising it was Draco's phone and that he must have dropped it on his way out, she leant over and picked it up.

She swore to herself that she had no intention of reading his messages, but when she saw the last seven calls were from Alice Cullen, curiosity (and, if she cared to admit, jealousy) caused her to check his voicemail.

_"Draco... there's been an accident. You need to go to the hospital... Draco I know you don't like me much, but Harry's in trouble. We're taking him to Forks Hospital... Draco, you need to come to the hospital straight away. Harry's been in an accident and it's really serious. We don't know if he's gonna wake up. You need to come now... Draco please! You need to get to the hospital right away. "_

Jessica dropped the phone, paralyzed in shock. She stared blankly at her English book before grabbing a jacket and her boots and heading out into the morning.

_"Draco, do NOT go to the hospital. Your friends have cleared it all up. Harry is okay, he's at our house."_

* * *

AN: **umm... I know it's been over 2 months since I updated... oops! I'm sorry!!!! I've been so incredibly busy! On holiday... I'm sorry again! Now you have all put the pitchforks down... :)**

**I have a slight whinge to make. I really value the input of readers and fellow writers, whether it is in the form of praise, concrit or outright flaming. But when I got a review telling me that the whole story didn't make sense (and I'm sorry, but it did take me nearly five minutes to translate the review from jumbled txt and msn slang and then put the verbs and nouns in the right place) and that's it, what am I supposed to do? How can I learn from that? Yeah, great, you think it doesn't make sense, but where and how does it not make sense. I have been given some really good advice and I've tried to follow through with it, but if you want to give me advice or help or whatever, please don't be vague. Even if you attack certain parts of my writing, it's much more helpful than 'Oh this is rubbish'.**

**And look, I even made future Harry not alone!**

**Thanks again to the 177 Reviewers, 247 Favourites and 553 people who added me to their Alerts lists. I'd love to thank all of my loyal reviewers and readers. You know who you are!**

* * *


	7. Part VII

**See the Light**

**Chapter 7**

* * *

The Ministry of Magic building in London was quiet at this time in a morning. A hooded figure approached the security desk, heels clicking against the cold, stone floor as he walked.

"Wand please." said the watchman drearily

"I do not posess a wand." said the hood.

The watchman looked up and eyed the cloaked figure warily.

"Wha' business would you be 'avin 'ere today sir?"

The cloaked figure did not reply immediately. The watchman couldn't help but shiver, nor could he stop goose-bumps from spreading and the hairs on the back of his neck rising. Finally the figure answered.

"Nothing that concerns you."

The watchman ignored the bad feeling in his stomach and stood. He was slightly shorter than the hooded figure, but refused to be intimidated by a man who wouldn't show his face.

"Well then sir, I'm gonna 'ave to ask you to remove yesself from these premises."

The hooded figure laughed. "Excellent, excellent! You remembered the speech!" He clapped and the watchman was thrown off-guard. I do enjoy being 'removed from the premises' but today my friend, I am afraid it is you I shall be removing."

When Sanguini had finished feeding from the watchman, he placed the body back into the guards chair and propped his magazine up. It looked like the watchman had simply fallen asleep on duty. The vampire chuckled and wondered who would find his body. He wouldn't be around to find out as Sanguini had more pressing matters to attend to; the lack of results in his compromise with the Ministry in finding his sons, in particular, Harry Potter.

Sanguini made his way over to the lift. They were locked this early in the morning and the key could be retrieved from the now deceased guard. Sanguini snapped open the doors and eyed the panel of buttons and levels on the opposite wall.

_Level Six: Ministerial Lounge, Conference Suites 1-5, Offices for the Senior Undersecretary, Court Scribe, Speaker of the House, and the Minister of Magic for the United Kingdom._

He smirked and pressed the ornate number six, ignoring the dull, female voice reminding him that Level Six was a Security Classified Area.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore sat quietly in the 'Planning Room' of the Order lamenting on his relationship with Potters, past and present. He had always been quite fond of James and Lily; Lily perhaps more so, and he had been more than fond of Harry. The young man was incredible; nothing he could ever do would surprise Albus, mainly because he believed that no feat was impossible for the young lad. His biggest regret though, was that he had never noticed when Harry and Draco had changed. He wished now that he had known; he could have kept the boys safe! Now he was in a position more precarious than any he had ever been in before.

He could defy the ministry, resulting in the take over of the school and the arrests of Order members and more than half of his teaching staff. He could give Sanguini false leads, resulting in Sanguini massacring thousands in his hunt for his 'sons', after which the Ministry would get involved and demand the above consequence. Or he could do as he was, and hunt down the boy he swore he would protect, the boy he had given the most powerful tool he knew, all the while knowing that he was betraying more than his own morals. He knew that Harry was currently pitted against him, and his baiting of the youngest Malfoy would not help him at all. But Sanguini was getting restless and he felt it was better for Harry and Draco, two immortals, to be dragged back than have a rogue vampire. For the past eight years, Harry had been the Ministry's man for rogue vampires, and now they knew why he had been so good at destroying them. Of course, when one of his colleagues had noticed what Harry was, the Ministry had demanded the assistance of the Wizengamot, and that of Albus Dumbledore. Any refusal would be seen as treason at worst, aiding and abetting at best. Call Albus selfish, but his position of favour in the Ministry was not something he would give up, not after he had given up so much before.

Albus put his head in his hands and was soon immersed in a memory of long ago.

"_Albus, you must promise me that when the time comes, if it is Harry, then you will do everything in your power to help him." Bright emerald eyes bore into his own, and for a moment Albus stumbled. Lily was hinting at something, although hints were not necessary. Albus wondered how Lily knew, but almost immediately banished the thought. Lily Potter was nothing but thorough, and if she thought she could protect her son, she would have researched every possible way. Including, apparently, old wives tales, passed on through generations of Potters and fairytales for Wizarding children. _

"_My dear," he replied, laying a consoling hand on her shoulder. "I would do, even if you had not asked."_

_Lily stared at him for one long moment. "No Albus. Forgive me, but you would not have given up what I am asking you to. I wonder if you will even do it now. I am willing to do it myself if you won't. And then we will pray that I survive long enough for Harry to take it from me."_

_Albus didn't reply to that. "And what of the other objects? One will be of no use to him without the others."_

_Lily didn't move. "The last will be easy for Harry to find. Once he has what I am asking of you, and what James will leave him, he will find it."_

_Albus had always wondered about that, but James would never let him near it. Albus could never decide if it was the result of a guilty conscience or protectiveness of his family._

"_How is James?" he asked, changing the subject. _

_If Lily noticed, she didn't mind. "He's with Harry. I think he's scared that we're going to lose him. But I think Harry's going to be losing us."_

_Albus sighed. Lily was perceptive; he had thought it was more likely that Harry would grow up without his parents. He didn't confirm her suspicions. _

"_We will protect you, Lily, all of you."_

_Lily said nothing, but continued walking. Her footsteps were so light that he could hardly hear the crunch of gravel below her feet. Her pale skin stood out strongly in the moonlit garden, and for the first time in Albus' memory, her blood-red hair wasn't her most striking feature. Her eyes, burning with fierce intensity and protectiveness chilled him. _

"_When you come to cast the spell with Sirius, I'll give you the cloak. Make sure he gets it Albus, and the others. He has inherited more from me than his eyes." she smiled slightly. "He has a horrible temper, and I can't imagine that you would want him to find out later that you have ignored his mothers last request."_

_Albus had to admit that the girl was good. She held the white picket gate open with a benign smile, her apron smudged with flour; she was the purest portrayal of an innocent housewife he had ever seen._

_He stepped through the gate before he answered her._

"_I promise, that if it is Harry, I will do everything in my power to help him." He sighed. "Including passing on the cloak and the wand. But Lily, I cannot promise that I will pass him the stone, because I have no way of knowing I will."_

_Lily smiled a genuine smile. "Albus, that you would give him two of three is enough for me. Thank you, ever so much."_

Albus withdrew from the memory and stared forlornly at the Elder wand on his desk. He reached into his robe pocket and pulled out his old willow wand. Vowing that he would reach Harry first, he dimmed the lights in his office, before retiring to his room, Elder wand still motionless on his desk.

* * *

Edward and I arrived back to an empty house, something which only served to exacerbate my foul mood. A note on the kitchen counter told us that the vampires had gone hunting and the humans had returned home.

"Fan-fucking-tastic!" I snapped, kicking at the Esme's coffee table in frustration. "I've just realized that I am not a hybrid, mutant soul and I can't figure out why not, and they aren't here! That's it! Fuck it! I'm going home!"

Edward smirked. "You make it sound like you want to be a hybrid, mutant soul."

I growled, biting my tongue to prevent Edward form learning some of the classier British swear words. To say the kid was over a century old, he was incredibly sheltered. I did think them, which defeated the purpose of my not saying them.

"What is a-"

"Something girls have that you don't. Although at times I wonder." I snapped. "But it doesn't matter, because I'm leaving. I'm going to figure out what is wrong with me, and if you see any wizards, tell them to jump off a fucking cliff!"

I kicked the table once more for good measure before storming out. Being so riled up in a room with a mind-reader thwarted my plan. He made a grab for me, but I dodged. I wasn't the youngest seeker in a century for nothing. My reflexes were good as a human, but they were brilliant as a vampire. Or some mutant hybrid thing.

At that thought I lashed out. And punched Edward square in the jaw.

He stepped back, cradling his jaw. Perhaps it was a bit more powerful than I thought…

"Oh shit Edward! I'm so sorry!" I paused while he rubbed his jaw. "Actually, I think it serves you right."

He dropped his hand and stared at me for a few moments. Just as I started fidgeting, he pounced.

"You little bastard!" I almost laughed at how unnatural the words sounded coming out of Edwards mouth, until the punched be in the gut. I doubled over, clutching my stomach. Edward stood back, admiring his handiwork.

I growled as I straightened up. With a battle cry I launched my attack.

Somehow, every conversation I had with Edward Cullen ended up with us rolling around on the floor. I ignored the innuendo my own brain came up with. _Not gay Harry _I reminded myself. This time, the stupidity of it all caught up with us before any major damage could be done.

Edward winced when he saw Esme's glass coffee table in shattered pieces.

"I'm gonna die." he groaned.

I shrugged and repaired it. "No you're not."

"No." he lamented. "I suppose not. Well, seeing as you have decided to stay I want to talk to you."

I had a couple of arguments against that. "I never decided I was going to stay. And didn't we just talk? If you had any sense you would be banishing me away. I told you that I was a trained Buffy, and you pretty much cozied up to me more!"

Edward grinned. "Call me a risk taker, but I don't think you would try to hurt me. Well apart from just then. And that time when you messed in my mind."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

Edward's grin grew a little wider. "Emmett."

Damn. The brawny one. Edward had discovered my fear of his brother before I altered his memories. At least I had some sort of survival instinct: Be scared of man who wrestle bear. "True. But what about your natural aversion to wizards?"

"And my natural attraction to vampires."

I snorted. "We both know that's a load of bullshit. Vampires are naturally suspicious of other vampires outside their coven. That's why Malfoy hates you so much."

Edward tried again. "Flattering, really. How about my natural attraction to mutant, hybrid things?"

I shook my head and smiled. "That's ridiculous. Nobody has a natural attraction to oddities. Well, except Luna Lovegood, but she is a class of her own. I win."

He shrugged. "Perhaps."

"Face it!" I said. "I win! There is absolutely no reason for you to like me. Or me to like you. And so for that reason, I will have to assume that you just like me for my incredible good looks." I made a Blue Steel face and Edward laughed. _No! No, no no! No more flirting you pillock! _"That or the pair of us are just plain masochistic."

Edward shrugged again "Perhaps. Or perhaps it is the story of the lion who fell in love with lamb."

"Who's the lion?" I asked suspiciously.

Edward laughed. "I've yet to figure that one out yet. Let's just agree that we are mutually deadly to each other."

I eyed him suspiciously. He smiled his silly little half smile and I gave up, for now. "The lion who fell in love with the puma. And I dibs puma."

"Agreed."

* * *

Jessica Stanley glared petulantly at the receptionist. Her dislike of the woman was increased ten-fold when she refused to help her.

"All I want to know is if Harry Potter has been brought in here at all tonight."

The woman was unperturbed. "I can't tell you that love." She returned to chewing her gum loudly. Jess winced at the smacking sound her lips made around her overly glossed lips. She couldn't decide what was worse: the horrible noise or the horrible colour lip-gloss she was wearing. Jess smirked wickedly when she noticed the tell tale sign of plastic surgery wearing off around her crows feet. Cheaters never prosper.

"I appreciate that, but my friend called me and told me to come in. I'm just worried. I can't get in touch with any of them now."

The receptionist stared at Jess for a long moment. Finally, she moved to the filing cabinet behind her. Jess' heart leapt; maybe now she would get some answers.

Her heart sank when the receptionist returned with a nail file and ignored her.

Jess stood there, and refused to allow herself to fidget. She wanted answers and she was going to get them dammit!

The receptionists filing missed a beat. Jess continued glaring at the obstinate woman, smiling to herself when the rhythm of the file against nail became fractured.

The receptionist finally snapped, throwing down the file and standing up with a huff. "Look, love. I can't tell you if Harvey-"

"Harry." corrected Jess irritably.

"-Whatever- I can't tell you. I appreciate that all that peroxide might have gone to your head, but I am not saying anything, love."

Jess bristled at the peroxide comment. How dare that bitch, with disgustingly cheap hair extensions, a bright orange tan, purple eye shadow and red lip gloss give her lip about her hair colour.

"Point taken Barbie." she said.

The receptionist looked about ready to launch herself over the desk. "What the hell do you mean by that?" she snapped.

Jess smiled. "Well, _love, _its just your nose is plastic, your boobs are plastic, your eyebrows have been lifted to your hairline and your cheeks filled with so much collagen that I'm surprised your face hasn't set permanently."

The receptionist snarled. Jess ignored her. "And you should probably make an appointment about those crows feet." Jess looked the woman up and down. "Don't worry. Youth and beauty is a fickle thing. But a bit of lipo wouldn't hurt."

"Jess?!" an astonished voice almost shouted. Jess jumped and spun around.

"Harry!" she squealed. The receptionist took advantage of her momentary distraction to launch herself at Jess, propelling her body up and over the counter and slamming into Jess. Both girls went tumbling to the floor, fists flying, nails digging into skin and hair being ripped up. Harry jumped off of the gurney the paramedics were carrying him on and attempted to separate the girls. By the time the paramedics had chance to react, he had both women separated and glaring furiously at them both.

"Er… Harry, you really need to lie down mate. That's what the neck brace was for. You might have a um, spinal injury."

Harry sighed and released the two girls. He trotted back to the gurney and let himself into it gingerly, wincing for good measure. "Sorry Ron." he said, pathetically. Jessica would have laughed if that stupid woman wasn't still glaring at her.

It was obvious who came off better. The receptionist's hair was in disarray, her top torn and her face pulled into a snarl. Jess however, flicked her fringe out of her eyes and glared at the woman. She looked as perfect as she had before the woman had jumped her, and noticed Alice Cullen nodding appreciatively as she was lead into Casualty with her dad and brother.

Jess was about to say something to the woman, but Harry beat her to it.

"That, Madame, was a very bad move. My friend here may just suffer permanent injury and emotional trauma from that incident. Might I suggest that you go back around that desk, fix yourself up and continue working peacefully?"

The receptionist was obviously quite intimidated by someone who escaped the paramedics covered in blood, wearing a neck brace and walking with a limp.

Jess resisted the urge to poke her tongue out, but followed the procession of injured teens, desperately seeking answers.

"What happened? How come I beat you here? What's wrong? Where's Draco?"

Dr Cullen asked her if she didn't mind waiting outside while he examined them. She was about to sit down when Harry asked if it was okay if she came in.

Dr Cullen looked slightly wary but let her in.

Edward and Alice Cullen were sat upright and stiff on opposite hospital beds. The paramedics were lifting Harry onto the last bed in the room when she walked through the door. The ginger haired one muttered something to Dr Cullen too low for Jess to hear. His partner, a frizzy-haired brunette hovered over Harry almost matronly.

Jessica watched as Dr Cullen cleaned the blood from Harry's face, leaving several nasty looking cuts. Questions kept flowing through her mind.

"It was a car accident." spoke Edward suddenly. Jess blushed at being spoken to by her former crush. "Harry was worse off because he was on a motorbike." The way he said motorbike indicated that he didn't think too highly of Harry's exploits.

Harry got that impression as well. "Hey!" he snapped. "I would have been alright if you were driving on the right side of the road!"

Edward chuckled. "I think you'll find it was you who confused the correct side of the road to drive on."

Harry grinned back. "I know what side of the road is the correct side to drive on. The left. Well, that's the side normal people choose to drive on anyway."

"Yes Harry, because normal people like driving their motorbikes into oncoming traffic."

"I'm British!" he whined. His sulking face did a total three-sixty when he remembered his comeback. "Anyway, it's not my fault you like driving like a man possessed! Any one else and I would have been able to avoid a collision, but you were taking that corner way too fast!"

"Too bad your puma-"

"Don't even go there lion boy!"

Their teasing continued for several minutes. The paramedics left, elbowing each other and rolling eyes as they did. Jess had noticed the slight bump on the woman, and wondered if they were together and the baby was his. She sighed, mocking herself for her romantic streak.

Dr Cullen finished cleaning up Harry's less than romantic wounds. His arm was in a sling, his left leg would need setting, half of his face was covered in anti-septic and gauze and more thick gauze was wrapped around his torso. His well defined, muscular torso.

And Jess wasn't the only one looking.

She watched Edward as he caught a good look at Harry's perfect body. His eyes went unfocused, his face slack. Harry had given him a witty comeback, but Edward didn't seem to be able to put together a sentence. Jess giggled, realising why Edward Cullen never dated girls. He simply wasn't interested.

Unfortunately her giggles brought her to the attention of everyone in the room.

"What?" asked Harry. "What's so funny?"

Jess giggled a little bit more as she figured it out. Edward wasn't the only one checking another male out, but Harry kept a much better composure.

"You two!" said Jess. "It's so painfully obvious!" she launched into a another fit of giggles as Harry and Edward shared confused looks.

Then Alice joined in the giggling. "Think of a song Jessica. Or two lines from a song. And just repeat them over and over in your head. " she advised before she started singing _Everlasting Love _softly under her breath.

Jess shrugged and joined in.

Edward shrugged. "Modern music. I never liked it."

Both boys went back to staring surreptitiously at each other. Dr Cullen was smiling broadly by the time he reached Alice.

Edward jumped up as soon as his father had finished poking him to sit at the end of Harry's bed. This elicited another round of giggles from Alice and Jess, a larger smile from Dr Cullen and confused faces from Edward and Harry.

Finally, they were all bandaged up.

Dr Cullen left, claiming he had work to do, and that the three patients were to stay in bed. Jess had an hour or so before she needed to be at school.

Jess and Alice sat chatting about shops, styles and trends that were coming in or going out while the boys rolled their eyes and discussed… well, Jess wasn't really sure what they were doing, but it was damn cute. Harry and Edward were lying on the same hospital bed, side by side, Harry's left arm above his head and right across his midriff, Edward mirroring the position. She almost awed out-loud, but kept it to herself. Apart from being overly romantic, she fancied herself a fag-hag. It didn't help being friends with Mike Newton for the past six years; he was as bent as…

"So where's Draco?" asked Harry eventually breaking his almost silent conversation with Edward.

Jess shrugged. "He said he needed to help his friends kid. Apparently this woman couldn't drive and the kid needed taking to hospital."

Harry frowned. "She rang him. On his cell. I think her name was Hermione?"

Jess saw the alarm spread across his face. Alice and Edward were still. Edward seemed to be observing Harry's reaction and Alice was staring into space.

"Oh. Okay. I was just wondering." said Harry, but Jess could see how panicked he was.

"Is there something I should know about Hermione?" She asked waspishly. If this Hermione was some other woman and the kid was an excuse.

"No. I'm just worried about Rose." Harry seemed to sense what Jess was getting at. "Hermione is married. She's got one daughter, Rose and is pregnant with another."

Jess mumbled an apology and stared at her feet.

Harry smiled. "No worries. Malfoy's not that kind of person, although I can understand why you'd be suspicious."

She regretted even thinking Draco would cheat.

"You'd best get to school. You have rumours and gossip to spread." teased Harry.

Jess was about to retort, but thought better of it and snapped her mouth shut. "I suppose you're right." she said airily as she flounced out the door. She popped her head back around a few seconds later. "Hope you're all feeling better soon."

Jess made her way to her car, feeling as if she might have just patched things up with Harry, and found herself a new girlfriend in the process.

* * *

Alice had seen that the following two weeks would be mainly sunny, and Jessica had been investigating at the hospital. She was suspicious of Draco's whereabouts (weren't we all), my whereabouts and my state of health. We decided it would be best to cover our tacks. The story was that Edward, Alice and I had been injured in a car accident on our way to school, and Dr Cullen had brought us in with minor injuries. We had to pretend the accident had happened the morning after my actual accident as the night staff at the hospital had already been Obliviated and we didn't want to mess with peoples minds too much. It was ridiculous, confusing and in my opinion pointless, but Alice had fun dressing us up. I think that was her plan all along.

Chief Swan came and took our statements, and repeated the lecture I had received from Hermione about riding a 'Death Machine'. I was incredibly lucky to have escaped from the wreck alive, and it was probably because I 'jumped from the bike when I realised I was losing control'. Emmett had had fun destroying a helmet, and it took him several attempts to make one look 'realistic'. Alice had crushed and melted a bag of blood pops and smeared it all over us, not stopping until we looked suitably injured. She also set Ron and Hermione (who had returned from England with an excited Rose. Apparently it was her first sleep over) to the task of putting glamours on us, to make our un-injurable bodies look injured. Judging by the look on Edwards face as she dressed us up, he had been her Ken Doll before.

We spent a few hours at the hospital before we were released and advised to take two weeks off school.

Dr Cullen examined us and signed our medical certificates, "Conflict of Interest be damned." he said with a smile.

Edward drove me home that night and promised to come by in the morning. I sat in the front room for hours, waiting for Malfoy to make an appearance. There was no sign that he had been home; a quick check of his room showed that he hadn't ransacked his wardrobe for something more comfortable (he always changed into robes when he got home, something which both amused and irritated me). His room was exactly how I had left it the morning before my accident, after coming in to get his dirty washing.

I checked the woods around the house for him, but there was no sign that he had gone out there. His scent was faint, and Edward confirmed that it was as faint as mine. We had been hunting together last so I knew he wasn't out there.

I had no way to contact him, as Jess had given me his mobile at the hospital and I had no idea where he had gone. He hadn't gone to England, as Ron, Hermione and Rose were all fast asleep upstairs. I sifted through text messages, emails and his recent calls, but nothing gave any indication of where he might have gone. I checked his voicemail, wondering if he had received any messages. I was automatically put through to his greeting.

_Welcome to the Mobile Telecom Voicemail Service. _

The line clicked a few times and I pressed the one key.

_Thankyou. Your greeting is as follows:_

"_Potter, how does this thing work? Oh right. I don't see why I have to- ugh! You are impossible Potter! Humph, self-glorified- alright alright! I obviously can't answer my… contraption, so if I like you, you may call me back later and I may answer. If I don't like you, you can call back later and I won't answer. Is that satisfactory? What? Why should I tell them to leave their name and number? It's not like I care… Why should I call them back? I don't want to talk to them…" To change your greeting, press one, to edit your privacy settings press two. To return to the main menu, press star._

I shook my head at the confusing system. Eventually I got to the mailbox.

There were no messages that could give any lead as to where he had vanished to.

I watched infomercials for hours with the telly on mute until the sun dawned. Edward turned up, as promised, right as the first light reflected across my side of the earth.

I let him in, and returned to the sofa without a word. I was beginning to seriously worry about him, and kept thinking about the vague excuse he gave to Jess.

Ron and Hermione had taken us to hospital, disguised as paramedics. Draco couldn't have ran off to help Hermione, which begged the question, where had he gone?

"He'll be okay Harry. He's a big boy, and there's not much that can harm him."

I snapped my eyes up to glare at the pale boy across from me. "No, not much. Wizards, yeah, other vampires, yeah, werewolves, yeah, shall I go on?"

Edward raised both hands in a defensive gesture. "I was just trying to-"

"Well don't!" I snapped. "I don't know where he is, why he left or what going on. And it's not just him I'm worried about. It's other people. Innocents. Don't forget what we are, and don't forget that we haven't been living this lifestyle as long as you have." Edward said nothing. "How would you feel if Jasper suddenly upped and left? You'd be stressed and worried too. But then how would you feel if Jasper upped and left when whole armies were after him? You'd be out of your mind with worry!"

Edward nodded. At that moment a silvery patronus burst into the room, making Edward jump out of his seat in fright and me in worry. That was Draco's patronus.

"Potter, don't worry, as I'm sure you are doing. I haven't ran off and joined a cult, nor have I gone wild. I'm fine, and I have some big news for you when I get home. I'll be there in a few hours. I'm just going to see Sev while I'm in the country. And don't worry. We have to less to worry about than you think."

* * *

A.N: Er... sorry about the update time? And the dodgy length? I'm going home in nine days, so in a fortnight I should be back to some kind of updating pattern. It was actually a review from zesty-cyanide that reminded me that I still had a fic going. So erm, thanks for taking the time to review (all two hundred and five of you), and I'll be back for good in a few weeks time!


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